


Millennium

by JoeyTaylor



Series: Clanverse [8]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Gen, Ombre
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-11
Updated: 2018-10-10
Packaged: 2019-07-29 07:35:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 12
Words: 55,142
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16259618
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JoeyTaylor/pseuds/JoeyTaylor
Summary: Events in India have drawn the Pharaoh to seek his lost memories, but Bakura has his own plan. Can Yugi, Joey and Hermione find Yami's true name before Bakura destroys Yami, and them, forever?





	1. Seeking Information

Hermione wasn't surprised, when she and her parents arrived at ten to ten, to find Yugi and Yami waiting.

Neither looked like they'd gotten much sleep, she knew how to tell after four years of dealing with their weird sleeping patterns, and Yami's tense nod and Yugi's small smile told her much more about their state of their mind then their pleasant chatter with her parents did.

They were nervous.

Understandable really, considering everything.

Today was the climax of everything they had gone through together, every villain fought, every duel played out, every night they'd just supported each other through good time or bad, it had all been for this one moment, the moment that Yami finally got his memories back.

"Look." Yugi sounded amused and Hermione turned to see what could have flipped his mood so dramatically.

Joey had sprinted around the corner, and was running up the road to meet them.

Yami, feigning impatience in order to wind their best friend up, pretended he was looking at a watch, and when Joey reached them and paused to catch his breath, stated, "Two minutes late.", which earned him an amused but exasperated snort from Yugi.

"What?" Joey yelped, looking for a clock, remembering he had his phone in his pocket, and checking the time on it. "Hah, wrong." Joey replied, "I'm three minutes early!" Joey paused to consider Yami, "You're not wearing a watch…"

Hermione and Yugi laughed at Joey's half mocking glower and Yami's grin, while Joey bowed to Mr and Mrs Dr Granger, saying good morning when he straightened.

The pair calmed down when Hermione's parents said that they'd meet them at the café just across the street in two hours for lunch, and departed for the inside of the museum, in order to look at exhibits in their own time, rather then at the group's pace.

"The big day then." Joey said, watching them go and turning to the others.

And instantly the nervousness was back.

If Hermione didn't understand the pair as well as she did, she would have been shocked by the way the nervousness infected both of them at exactly the same moment.

Joey ran a hand through his hair, "I always thought we'd be doing this with Tea and Tristan, you know?" He asked, slipping back into Japanese now that it was just them and making Hermione glad that she'd had Kari teach her the language back in their second year.

"Yeah." Yugi sounded rueful, "I called them this morning, they said good luck."

"What do they expect, rampaging Duel Monsters to suddenly appear or something?" Joey asked, slightly amused.

"No clue." Yami shrugged, "Can we please get on with this?"

"Sure, pal." Joey put his hand on Yami's shoulder, "Let's go."

Yami nodded, and started climbing the stairs.

"Muto."

"What Kaiba?" Yami snarled, wheeling around at the sound of Kaiba's voice.

"Pushy." Seto snorted. There was something wrong, Yugi could tell from Seto's stance and tone.

"What's happened?" Yugi asked.

"Bakura." Seto growled, "And while the tablet of the Pharaoh's here, he'll be here too."

"How do you know that?" Yami growled, clamping down on his temper at being interrupted, having had quite enough of Bakura after their run in with him last night, when he'd sent those who had broken into the Game Shop and stolen the God Cards to the Shadow Realm and proceeded to wind Yami up and spout some nonsense about wanting them to find Yami's memories, confusing Yugi, before vanishing into the darkness.

"He told me last night."

"You saw him?" Yugi asked, worried.

"Let's say I have a score to settle with him and leave it at that."

"Where's Mokuba?" Hermione asked, looking around, concern in her voice.

Seto's lack of response, other then to ball his hands into fists told them what had happened.

"Oh… oh no…" Hermione breathed.

"I suggest you stay out of my way." Seto warned Yami.

"We have our own reason for being here, Seto." Yugi said, trying not to worry, knowing Seto was more then capable of beating Bakura and that this was one occasion that Seto would rather tear his own arms and legs off then ask for help, even as Yugi wanted to offer it, "But if we see him, we'll phone you, alright?"

"Thank you, Yugi." Seto nodded and stalked into the museum.

"Never a dull moment." Joey commented.

Joey's comment earned him a eye roll from Yugi and a semi-amused, semi-frustrated snort from Yami.

"Should we help him?" Hermione asked. "I mean, if Bakura's…"

"If we help Seto now, other then to tell him where Bakura is, he'll never forgive us." Yami shook his head, "He's never quite forgiven himself for failing and relying on us during Duellist Kingdom, doing it again would only compound the problem."

"But that was five years ago!" Hermione protested.

"Nearly six, but I'd feel the same way if I'd failed Serenity." Joey replied, knowing there were times he was reminded of and felt guilty over some of his past actions, and some of those were almost ten years old now.

"But…"

"We can't do anything standing here." Yami cut Hermione off. "Bakura said he'd be at the Tablet of the Pharaoh, and that's where we're going. He'll probably be waiting for us."

"So we should just follow our original plan." Hermione nodded, understanding, "And we'll probably be able to help Seto find Bakura that way."

"Exactly, now, shall we?" They followed Yami up the steps and into the museum. As if the whole situation hadn't been tense enough before, now, as they went straight through to the tablet, darting under the tape that had been put across the doorway by Isuzu, to cut off this section to anyone but Yugi and the others, and was waiting for them calmly, Hermione could see that the others were on high alert, just waiting for trouble to strike.

"My Pharaoh, it's an honour to see you again." Isuzu bowed.

"A pleasure to see you too." Yami bowed back quickly, his eyes sweeping the room.

"You haven't seen Bakura by any chance have you?" Yugi asked her, when she seemed surprised by Yami's shortness with her.

"The Tomb Robber? Thankfully not. Please tell me he isn't here?"

"There was an incident last night. Could you put out an alert among the security guards, just in case he comes into the museum?" Yugi explained.

"Of course." Isuzu nodded, "Take as long as you need, I'll be back shortly."

"Thank you." Yami nodded at her.

Isuzu just bowed and left.

"So now what?" Joey asked when it became apparent that Bakura wasn't going to suddenly jump them.

Hermione was distracted. She'd heard stories of this tablet, but she never thought she'd get to see it in person.

"It's a bit overwhelming isn't it?" Yugi chuckled, doing a rather good job of keeping his emotions out of his voice, "To think that that was us, five thousand years ago." He indicated the Pharaoh on the tablet, "And that Seto was trying to beat us back then too." He indicated the priest.

"I'll keep an eye out for Bakura. You do what we came to do." Joey said, causing Yugi and Hermione to look around, to find that Yami had gotten the God cards out of his deck, while Yugi had been talking.

"You sure?" Yami asked, just wanting it over with one way or another but hesitating in case Bakura got away while they were distracted.

"Just get on with it." Joey shoved him gently towards the tablet.

Yugi and Hermione moved aside to let Yami stand square in front of it.

Yami held the God cards up, facing towards the tablet.

There was no response at first. Then a bright light erupted from the tablet, the God cards and the Puzzle, blinding them all.

Joey swore violently, and waited for his vision to clear, having gotten far too used to bright lights during their stay in the capsule monsters world, unable to help wondering how no one had noticed, but the thought didn't remain for long considering Yami was passed out, collapsed on the floor in a heap and Yugi was on his hands and knees, tears falling, the expression on his face far too familiar for Joey's comfort.

"Yugi?" Hermione asked, kneeling at his side as Joey rushed to Yami's, checking his pulse and casting the diagnostic spell Madam Pomfrey had insisted the group learn after Harry's collapse at the start of fourth year.

"He… he's gone…" Yugi stammered, sitting up, taking the Puzzle into his hands, shaking, "He just left…"

"Yuge?" Joey asked, looking away from the single light that flickered, measuring the Pharaoh's pulse.

"Yami's gone."

* * *

"Pharaoh. Pharaoh!" Someone was hissing, shaking his arm gently, trying to be subtle.

Yami groaned quietly and opened his eyes, blinking as he looked around trying to clear the sleep from his eyes. Taking in his clothes and his surroundings, frowning as he realised that it appeared to be a throne room of some kind, "Where…" He murmured, then stopped at the concerned look the man at his side, who looked a lot like Solomon, his Grandfather, gave him.

"Great Pharaoh," The man worried, "At all times you must act with the dignity befitting the living embodiment of the gods… for you to fall asleep on the throne."

"I apologise." Yami stated, still confused, but aware that he'd been thrown into the role for a reason so he'd better play it, even if he wasn't sure how, "I did not sleep well last night."

He reached down the link, to speak with Yugi, expecting to find him waiting patiently, or listening over the link, to what was going on and was startled to find not only was there no response from his hikari, but it was like Yugi had never been bonded to him in the first place and yet it wasn't like he was missing anything from his heart or his soul...

The six nearest to the throne, one woman, five men, all wielding Millennium Items, moved slightly as a guard, and Yami wasn't sure how he recognised the man as a guard, walked along the throne room and bowed at his feet.

"O Great Pharaoh." The man said, not rising from his place, "It is time."

' _Time for what?'_ Yami was confused and he wasn't happy about it. He hated being thrown into a game without knowing the full rules, and being chucked headfirst into this illusion wasn't much better… or maybe… Yami realised as he found he recognised everything, with that odd recognition of something you hadn't seen in years, you knew you knew it, but you couldn't remember where… maybe this was a memory, one of his memories.

"Pharaoh," The guard continued when Yami didn't speak, "May we open the court?"

"Very well." Yami nodded, figuring that either everything would explain itself, or he could ask at a time where he'd look much less foolish.

"Bring in the prisoner." The guard rose and called to those at the great stone doors.

As they brought the prisoner forward, Yami stole glances at those nearest the throne. There was the man who looked like his Grandfather in the modern age, the woman, who reminded him of Isuzu and held the Necklace, a previous incarnation, possibly, and the one with the Millennium Rod looked familiar too, but he couldn't be sure without seeing his eyes, and Yami knew he should know the priest wearing the Millennium Ring, but he couldn't think where from.

The man was brought to the base of the plinth where Yami's throne sat and the guard at his said announced, "This man was caught trying to enter the tomb of the former Pharaoh!"

Yami's eyes widened as the implications sank in. Even as the man tried to deny it and was told that he'd trespassed on scared ground, Yami's mind was working overtime, the tomb of the former Pharaoh… his father's tomb perhaps?

"Great Pharaoh, there is no end to thieves like this, who would rob the royal tombs, but fret not, the holy relics of the Great Pharaoh and the six priests, the Millennium Items, judge them." The man who looked like his Grandfather explained.

' _Judgement?'_ Yami listened and nodded, _'Is that what the Millennium Items are for?'_ Then frowned slightly, _'I need to get some names, or I'm going to go crazy. If I haven't already.'_

Yami sat up, making sure he paid attention to every detail, even as he wanted to know what the hell had happened to his bond with Yugi, gaining some information as the priests judged the thief, removing the 'Ka' from the man's soul (and Yami was privately convinced that 'Ka' was what they called Duel Monsters here) and sealing it away in a stone tablet, but it wasn't that that stunned him.

It was the fact that the priest wielding the Millennium Rod looked and sounded exactly like Seto Kaiba and the priest with the Millennium Ring had been revealed to be a man named Mahado.

It couldn't be the same Mahado… could it?

There was so much he didn't know…


	2. Seeking the Pharaoh

Sirius watched in shock as Harry's face went rather white and sat down heavily. "Harry?"

"I think they're trying to give me a heart attack." Harry muttered, looking towards the window.

"Again?" Sirius scowled, working out who 'they' were quickly and thoroughly sick of their ability to get into trouble, "You told me that they don't disappear off the radar completely very often. What could possibly happen today that would block the link again?"

"They went to the museum." Harry said, like it explained everything. If he'd been talking to someone from the inner circle of the Clan, it would have been, but Sirius gave him a look as if to say 'and what does that have to do with it?' "Yami's getting his memories back today." He explained properly.

"If he's getting his memories back, why'd they vanish?"

It was them vanishing today of all days that had Harry worried. He'd spoken to Yugi only an hour ago and while Yugi had mentioned in passing that they'd run into Bakura last night, he somehow wasn't certain that this was all the Tomb Robber's fault.

After all Bakura never went after the pair of them at the same time, no one did since they'd separated into two people, it was asking for defeat.

"I don't know." Harry admitted, reaching down the link and getting nothing in response. He reached for his phone, and then hesitated. Who was he supposed to call?

Joey was at the museum with Yugi and Yami, as was Hermione, so they were out.

Seto and Mokuba wouldn't have the slightest clue what was going on, considering the pair of them were busy working on Kaiba Corp stuff and had informed his link partners a couple of days ago, that they didn't want to be disturbed until after Yami had gotten his memories back and even then only if they had news that threatened the Kaiba brothers or their company.

Luna and Rebecca were waiting on a call saying the deed was done, while Ginny and Ron weren't even in the same country as the others and Ron was spitting mad that he couldn't be in Japan for the big moment.

Not that Harry was much happier, but he'd taken advantage of Sirius enough over the summer and he hadn't wanted to press, not even about this. He didn't need to be there, Yugi and Yami would share their memories of the occasion if he asked, and as such, he'd decided not to aggravate his Godfather any further. Of course this had been before the link had gone again.

Besides if he and Ron were annoyed they were missing the event, he could imagine Tea and Tristan were absolutely furious. They'd been supporting Yugi and Yami since the very beginning, and missing this, the conclusion of everything…

Not that it mattered if something had happened to the Pharaoh on the way to museum…

"One phone call." Harry said, giving his Godfather a pleading look.

Sirius rolled his eyes but nodded. "Go on."

"Sorry." Harry apologised, pulling his phone out of his pocket and deciding on who he was going to call.

Now which speed dial number had he put Hermione on?

* * *

Yugi didn't understand.

Yami was gone.

There was nothing, no door to his mind in the corridor, no sense of 'Yami', there was nothing…

Not even a hollow feeling, like there had been when Yami had been petrified.

Just a feeling he couldn't possibly recognise after nine years, a feeling of being whole, of being alone…

Did it mean… was that it?

Had Yami really just left?

He hadn't thought that this would be goodbye…

It wasn't fair.

"What do you mean gone?" Hermione hesitantly asked.

"He's not here." Yugi tried to explain, one hand one the Puzzle, the other going to his heart. "It's like…" He didn't want to say it.

"Like what?"

"Like we were never linked in the first place." Yugi's voice was quiet, miserable…

Joey hissed and Hermione blanched, "You serious?" Joey demanded.

Yugi just nodded, unable to comprehend what had just happened, shock still settling in.

Hermione's phone ringing caused everyone to jump out of their skins.

It was Harry.

Of course it was Harry. Who else would have phoned now? They all knew what was supposed to be happening…

Only Harry would know Yami was gone…

"Prince Yugi."

Yugi's turned towards the voice quickly as Joey growled and Hermione's conversation died, the sudden appearance of an Egyptian man in a white robe and turban, wrapped in Shadow Magic, startling them all.

"Who are you?" Joey demanded, getting between Yugi, Hermione and the man.

"Joey, it's ok. That's Shadi." Yugi shook his head, getting to his feet. "I should have guessed that you'd be here."

"The Pharaoh is almost at the end of his journey." Shadi bowed to him, "It is my duty to be here."

"Shadi, what happened to Yami?" Yugi asked, more worried about his dark

"The Pharaoh has entered a world created by his memories." Shadi explained.

"What… do you mean?" Hermione asked, hesitantly and earned an amused look from Shadi. Not a smile, never a smile, but a look that conveyed amusement even as it showed his irritation at being interrupted.

"This tablet and the God Cards that the Pharaoh won so long ago in Battle City were the final keys to the door within the Millennium Puzzle which hid his memories." Shadi explained patiently. "Now the Pharaoh walks in a world created by the memories he sealed away five thousand years ago."

"A world where…"

"Of course the events that will pass are already predetermined." Shadi continued, "And the Pharaoh must battle the great evil that he faced in the past and live out his fate once more."

"What do you…?" Joey started but Yugi held up a hand.

"You mean he has to die again?" Yugi asked, fear tainting his eyes if not his tone.

"Yes."

Hermione looked from Shadi to Yugi and back. What would happen if Yami died again…? Would he come back to them? Would he disappear forever?

"And he's there alone?" Joey snarled.

"He has those who were there in ancient times."

"If Yami dies in memory world… will he come back?" Yugi asked, looking at his dark side, who was still on the ground, the heartbeat light, a deep blood red light, still pulsing above his chest in a regular pattern the only signs of life.

"The only way the Pharaoh would be able to return is if he is victorious." Shadi shook his head.

Yugi's hands balled into fists, as he tried to think of something, anything he could do to help his dark during this fight.

"And he is not the only one who treads the path of memory." Shadi continued, "The Tomb Robber, Bakura, who seeks the Millennium Items to release a dark power, followed him when he walked through the door."

"Bakura!?" Joey snarled.

"That's not fair!" Yugi protested, "Bakura still has his memories! He knows how events are going to play out!"

"The Shadows are coming to their final game, the rules you are used to have changed. What is fair for one is not necessarily fair for another."

"There's a way into Memory World, isn't there?" Hermione spoke up; having run into Shadi once already and already worked out that he didn't divulge information unless it was necessary. "For us, I mean."

Yugi's eyes widened as Shadi nodded. "There is one way. The door you seek is inside the Millennium Puzzle."

Yugi thought of the daliesque maze that was a part of Yami's mind, the same maze he had once gotten lost in for three days and still not covered even a quarter of it. "But I can't get into the Puzzle right now. Without Yami…"

"The Pharaoh may be gone, but the Puzzle is not just his." Shadi shook his head, "With the power of the Millennium Key, I can get you inside and indeed, I will guide you through the traps, but when you wish to return, you are on your own. If you do not save the Pharaoh, you too will be lost forever."

Yugi looked at Joey and Hermione, "I'm…"

"Don't say it; don't even think about saying it. I'm coming, end of discussion." Joey growled at him.

"I'm not staying behind this time." Hermione told Yugi, "You guys always get to have adventures. This time I'm coming with you."

"This is different…" Yugi started.

"Yuge, we're coming." Joey stared the heir down. "Discussing it is a waste of time."

"Thank you." Yugi nodded to the pair of them with a small, anxious smile, and then turned to Shadi. "What do we need to do?"

"I will use the power of the Millennium Key." Shadi explained, "It will take us as far as the interior of the Puzzle, but it will be you, the other half of the Pharaoh's soul, who will be of most use once inside."

"What do you mean?"

"Only you can sense the Pharaoh's location and find the door."

Yugi nodded.

"Are you ready?" Shadi asked, looking at each of them in turn.

"I have a question before we leave." Yugi said, a thought striking him. "If we defeat Bakura while he's in the World of Memory, what happens to anyone he sent to the Shadow Realm?"

"If Bakura is defeated in Memory World, he will die. In that respect the world you are about to enter is fair."

"That doesn't answer my question." Yugi frowned. "What will happen to anyone Bakura trapped in the Shadow Realm if he dies?"

"If Bakura is defeated in Memory World, anyone trapped within the Shadows as penalty for losing to him, will be freed."

"Good." Yugi looked relieved.

"Do not waste what little time you have left, your task is not to hunt the Tomb Robber down. He will challenge the Pharaoh when the time is right. You must stick to your task, if you don't succeed, and the Pharaoh fails, the whole world will fall to darkness."

"What is it, exactly, we're supposed to do?" Joey demanded; annoyed as he'd wanted a shot at Bakura for everything he had done to the group.

"You must find the key to unlocking that which has been sealed for five thousand years before Bakura does. If the Tomb Robber finds it before you do, Shadows will cover the world, allowing all life to perish at the hands of a demon far more powerful then the Dark Lord you have fought before."

"We're supposed to find Yami's name." Yugi stated, realisation hitting him.

"Indeed. While the Pharaoh has been 'Yami Muto' for many years, he had a name before he was sealed into the Puzzle. It is this name that is the key to everything. If Bakura finds it, he will unleash the shadows on the world. You must find it and return it to the Pharaoh, only then will his true power be released, allowing him to defeat the beast controlling the Shadows once and for all." Shadi explained.

"How much time do we have?" Yugi asked, "How much tine remains in the world of memory?"

"I cannot tell you, but every moment you spend asking questions, is another minute lost."

Yugi nodded, understanding, and turned to look at his friends, "Ready guys?"

"As I'll ever be." Joey snorted, wondering if there had been a single time when they had jumped into danger that they had ever, really been ready.

"One sec." Hermione said, suddenly remembering the phone in her hand and raising it to her ear again, "Harry? I'll ring you back. Don't worry, we'll be fine. Speak to you later, bye." And she put the phone down.

Shadi looked bemused.

"What do we need to do?" The teenage witch asked, as she put the phone away.

"Hold hands." Shadi instructed.

Yugi took Hermione's warm hand in one, and Shadi's cold hand in the other.

"Now," And Shadi's tone changed, turning from a tone of reasoning to one of command, "In the name of the Pharaoh, I call upon the powers of the Millennium Key. Guide us through the labyrinth of the Millennium Puzzle."

The Key glowed, the Puzzle glowed in response to the call, not, as Yugi would have expected, fighting the power of the other Millennium Item, but instead adding to the power that he could sense pulling on him.

The combined glow from the two Millennium Items grew brighter and brighter.

"Muto…" The unexpected voice trailed off.

Yugi's eyes widened as he saw Seto stepping over the cord and into the room.

Then everything went white.

* * *

Nen was furious.

The blonde haired man had worked hard to work his way up the ranks after he had been taken in by Siamun, and had managed to earn his place in the palace as Chief of the Royal Guards, answering only to the High Priests and Pharaoh himself, he'd trained all his men to the best of his ability, taught them all to guard this palace with their lives and they had tried, oh they had tried.

His guards, his friends, had tried to defend the palace against the arrival of the Thief King, Bakura, and so many of them had lost their lives because of it.

What were they, the ordinary people, supposed to do against one who could summon his Ka beast? Especially one as powerful as that Diabound creature, who had decimated his troops, even more so when you considered there were very few of them who could see the beasts, Nen was one, but there were maybe three who now lived after Bakura had decided he was going to walk into the palace after desecrating the tomb of Pharaoh Aknamkanon, and try to take the powerful Millennium Items.

Nen was still in shock at the power that the Pharaoh, who, if Nen was right, was maybe two years younger then him, had summoned.

He had had a chance to see the God of the Obelisk in action and if he hadn't feared the Pharaoh before, he certainly did now.

If Obelisk could hurt Diabound like that, and Diabound had decimated his men, what else could the God do?

"You seem troubled." Nen jumped and wheeled around, drawing his sword as he did so. "Easy Nen," The brunette girl chuckled, backing off, "I'm not a threat."

"Sorry, Mana." The guard said, putting it away and returning to watching his post, waiting for just one more hour, when the moon would be highest in the sky, when his relief would be here and he could go to sleep. "It has been a rather long day." Brown eyes told the story of how long, and Mana wished she could do more for her friend.

"I would have thought you'd have gone to bed by now." Mana looked puzzled.

"My relief never made it up here." Nen ran a hand through his hair, brushing sand out, trying not to wonder if his relief had been caught in the fighting with Bakura. "So I'm staying until morning or someone else comes along."

"I'll stay with you, if you like." Mana offered, quite content to sit on the wall that surrounded the high walkway.

"Aren't you supposed to be resting?" He frowned, welcoming the apprentice magician, but knowing that Lord Mahado, the High Priest who had organised distribution of the rest of the forces, including vital places like the Valley of the Kings, and the High Priest who taught her magic would not allow her to slack off just because she had a late night.

"Mahado has a meeting with the Pharaoh early tomorrow morn, when the messenger gets back with how Bakura managed to get past the guards at the Valley of the Kings." Mana shook her head, "I won't have lessons until tomorrow afternoon at the latest."

"And have you been practising?" Nen snorted, knowing the answer even before his friend's bright expression turned changed to one of embarrassment, "Mana!"

"There was just so much happening today that…" Mana cut off when she saw the pain on Nen's face. "I'm sorry." She murmured, coming over and taking his hand, "How many?"

"Twenty six." He growled, trying not to think of those who had been directly caught by the 'White Lightening Attack' the snake like creature had fired off and disintegrated. If only he could call his Ka beast, maybe he could have done something different and saved a few of those lives.

Mana fell silent, not really knowing what to say. Everyone in the palace felt they had failed in some way today. The Guards were split into those who didn't think they'd done enough to stop Bakura and those who had survived Bakura's attack, barely, and knew it had been a hopeless fight. Nen, their Commanding Officer felt he had failed to train them well enough, or defend them if he could somehow…

The High Priests, who most thought infallible were feeling pretty flimsy too, after they had failed to stop a 'simple' thief, with her Master the worst, after all he had 'failed' twice. Once in his role as protector of the Tombs and once to guard the Pharaoh.

She couldn't know that the Pharaoh too, felt like he had failed. He was watching the interaction from the balcony where he had gone to try and figure things out. Everyone here knew him, hardly surprising when you considered that this was one of his own memories, and yet at the same time, he still knew as little as he did when he had first arrived here.

The people he had been introduced to today, were they friends, co-workers, servants? How many others did he know, but at the same time had completely forgotten. He had thought that once he'd presented the God Cards to the Tablet of the Pharaoh, all would be revealed, but if anything he was more confused now then when he had woken up on the throne and everything Bakura had been spouting earlier didn't help.

He knew he shouldn't trust the Tomb Robber, but if this really was, as he suspected, a world formed from his memories, then Bakura had told him this before, a really, really long time ago. Had he paid attention then? Had it actually been true five thousand years ago? He felt like banging his head against a wall, except that would probably bring a servant running and then he'd have to explain himself and he really didn't want to do that.

It didn't help that his most trusted advisor appeared to be High Priest Mahado, for he was certain that he did know and trust Mahado, and yet something was telling Yami that this wasn't the guise that he knew the High Priest in.

He knew a Mahado very well indeed. He had had the Dark Magician by the same name at his side for two or three years now, and yet it couldn't be the same Mahado, for the Mahado here was defiantly human.

Was it possible that Mahado the Dark Magician was the ka of the Mahado he had known all these years ago?

He smiled slightly when the girl on the palace wall waved at him and the man she was with suddenly went straight to attention, pretending he had never been distracted.

"Pardon me, my Pharaoh."

Yami blinked and turned around to find Mahado kneeling before him. "What is the matter, Mahado?"

"My Pharaoh, please excuse my interruption, but it's not wise for you to be out here alone." The priest answered.

Yami gained an almost imperceptible frown, he knew Mahado was right, after all there was more then one way to get to this balcony and anyone who could get past the guards would find him an easy target, alone and distracted like this. "Perhaps you're right." He sighed, having enjoyed the cool night air which was so very different from the cold and windy Scotland or the warm but often wet Japan, "We should go."

Mahado nodded and again Yami recognised his old friend in the expression, "Yes, stay close, especially after today."

Yami wanted to reassure him, try and convince him that it wasn't his fault, but he didn't know what to say, didn't know how he would have acted five thousand years ago, so he stayed silent and followed the barer of the Millennium Ring down the steps.

A question kept popping into his head that the Pharaoh didn't particularly like. If Mahado had worn the Ring five thousand years ago, how had Bakura gotten his hands on it?

Mahado was muttering under his breath, having seen the girl on the wall and scowled because of it, something along the lines of 'she shouldn't be distracting the guards' and 'I'll give her double the practise tomorrow if something happens because of this'.

"Something the matter?" Yami couldn't help asking, amused by the thought of the Dark Magician acting this way.

"No, my Pharaoh." Mahado shook his head, frustration still showing, "I assume you saw Mana talking with one of the guards."

Yami nodded, a flash of memory catching him off guard. Not much but enough for him to know the basics about the girl who was only a year younger then him. "She did not appear to be distracting him." The Pharaoh replied, trying not to think about the possibilities.

It was possible that Mana was a common name in these times, right?

Mahado didn't reply to that, just carried on down the stairs.

By the time they had reached the bottom of the staircase, Mana and her friend, who had obviously been released from his post at some point, were just coming across the courtyard.

The friend knelt almost immediately. "My Pharaoh, Lord Mahado."

A moment of shock coursed through Yami. He remembered Ombre saying something about remembering someone like Joey, but for some odd reason the thought that his friends from the modern era could have been known to him in the past as well hadn't occurred to him.

"Rise." Yami said quickly, cursing his lack of memories, wishing he knew the man's name, since he seemed to be so important to his friend.

The blonde stood up, towering over the Pharaoh, as most did, and proceeded answer all of Mahado's questions about the placement of the guards, who was on duty and how many guards they had left. During this conversation the Pharaoh learned… or maybe relearned, the guard's name and discovered that there was a lot about palace security that he had no clue about.

"He'll be going for hours." Mana muttered under her breath, causing Yami to smile slightly but not enough to give the game away, however Mahado's hearing was sharper then either of them had anticipated and the High Priest wheeled around and glowered at his protégée.

Yami made yet another mental note to never aggravate Mahado.

Seeing that Mahado would go on at Mana for much longer if he was left to it, Yami deliberately yawned, faking tiredness in order to get Mana off the hook and too allow her and her friend, Nen, to go off and do whatever they were planning to do.

Mahado didn't get completely distracted, issuing Mana yet more homework before he sent her on her way, but he did finally stop scolding and carried on walking with him towards the rooms where he slept.

That was one luxury Yami was looking forward to. Not a dorm room, not a room, room **s**. Rooms all to himself. No trying to fit three beds into one tiny bedroom, no having to clamber over each other to get out of the room at night.

Rooms all to himself.

"Should I send a servant to draw your bath, my Pharaoh?" Mahado asked as he pushed the door open and preceded him, cautious in case of a fresh invasion.

"If you would, I would be appreciative." Yami nodded as Mahado did a quick sweep of the room, checking outside the huge window, inside the bathroom, and finally sending out a wave of magic that whispered to Yami as it passed that swept into all the smallest gaps and, presumably, found out if there was anyone hiding within the room.

A bath did sound good, he disliked feeling sticky and horrible, a feeling he had to have formed in the last few years, since it had probably been an almost permanent state of affairs back in Egypt. "Mahado…" Yami hesitated, wondering if it would be out of character for him to thank Mahado for all his concern. They appeared to be friends, and Yugi thanked his friends all the time…

"Yes, my Pharaoh?" Mahado asked, having been headed for the door to call a servant.

"I want to thank you, for your concern." Yami said, watching Mahado's reaction. "Today has been… trying… and I know you've been doing all you can to try to prevent a repeat, so… thank you."

"You're welcome, my Pharaoh." Mahado nodded, smiling slightly. The smile didn't reach his eyes though, disappointing Yami slightly, though he wasn't completely surprised. If this really was the Mahado he knew, it would take a lot more then a 'thank you' to get the priest to feel at ease again. "Just give me a moment."

The High Priest popped out the door and a few moments later a pair of servants entered the room and headed straight for the bathroom.

An odd question popped into Yami's head.

How did they run baths, if there was no plumbing?

* * *

Seto groaned and sat up, glowering at his surroundings.

This was not the museum. Nor was it Kaiba Corp or any of the other thirty million places he'd rather be hunting down Bakura in.

The turbaned man from the museum was already conscious and looked like he was just waiting for the others.

Yugi was the next to wake up, looking around and grinning slightly, before scrambling over to Joey and shaking him. "Joey. Joey."

The blonde groaned and muttered something about five more minutes, making Yugi growl slightly and somehow conjuring a bucket of water out of nowhere, before retreating and chucking the water at his friend.

Well that certainly woke the man up and his swearing brought Hermione out of unconsciousness.

"Is this it?" She asked, looking around and trying to ignore the fact Joey was threatening Yugi with murder and mayhem if he did that again.

"Is this what?" Kaiba demanded.

"Looks like it to me." Joey nodded, "It looks kinda familiar, but then all these corridors look the same."

"Prince Yugi…" Shadi interrupted.

"I know, I know." Yugi nodded, "We need to do this quickly."

Seto's snarl caught the attention of everyone there, "Do what? What have you dragged me into this time, Muto?"

"I didn't drag you into anything, Kaiba." Yugi glowered back. He didn't need this right now, they had too much they needed to do, and if Seto was going to call him by surname then he was going to do the same. "You're the one who entered the room while we were transporting. We've got a mission to do, and if you want to go after Bakura, I suggest that you tag along."

Seto, who didn't show how surprised he was when Yugi snapped back, unused to such displays of temper from the hikari when Yami wasn't petrified, just glowered, "What mission?"

"I'll explain, Rich Boy." Joey waved him off as Yugi started opening doors and Hermione picked herself up. "But we need to start moving. It's not just Mokuba at stake here."


	3. Seeking the Door

Yami knew that, as Pharaoh, he was not supposed to get involved in the training battles of his priests, in fact he was supposed to watch and observe, something that was, in fact rather interesting, as by doing that he could easily work out who favoured what type of monster and what strategy, noting that Mahado and his proto-Dark Magician, the Magus of Illusion, favoured a lot of the tricks that he and the Dark Magician pulled off in the modern age, while Seth, Seto's pre-incarnation, was full of the bluster that Seto had been back before Kari and Hogwarts had changed him.

"Seth." Yami rose from his throne, interrupting the argument that was rising from Seth's careless sacrifice of his comrade's monsters. "Battles cannot be won with strength alone."

"Perhaps, my Pharaoh," Seth said, not quite sneering, for that would have been disrespectful, "A practical demonstration?"

"Seth!" Siamun snapped, "You..."

"It's okay Siamun." Yami held up a hand, stepping off of the pedestal his throne stood on and moving to Mahado's side with a respectful nod at the High Priest, earning one back. "I would not be averse to teaching this lesson myself," He raised a hand and one solitary tablet rose from the ground, "And I will only need this one tablet."

"Are you certain, my Pharaoh?" Isis, the only woman among those who wore the Millennium Items, asked, concerned for Yami's safety.

"Seth." Yami gestured for the Priest to go ahead without even summoning the monster.

Seth's swordsman appeared. "My Pharaoh. If you're certain..."

Different lifetime same challenging tone, "Go ahead Seth." Yami snorted at him.

"Destroy the tablet!" Seth ordered, confident of his victory.

The tablet, the image only half formed, shattered into tiny pieces.

"I've won." Seth couldn't help the smirk.

"Not yet." Yami said, sensing the confusion from the priests that were watching. "For you see the monster I summoned was called Kuriboh and when you broke the tablet..."

The pieces each gained an image, and from those images sprang fuzzballs, hundreds of them, who attached themselves to the swordsman and exploded.

Seth staggered backwards as his monster dispersed, while the Pharaoh stood tall, dismissing the last of the fuzzballs. "Like I said, Seth, power doesn't mean everything."

* * *

"Damn, Yuge, I can see how you got lost for three days." Joey complained as he opened a door and stepped through only to find himself standing, upside down, on a platform down and to their left.

Yugi chuckled slightly, avoiding an 'I told you so', though he totally had, after his fourth round of teasing, replied that if they had ever seen the inside of the Puzzle, they'd understand how easy it was to get lost in it. "The worst part is, this place keeps changing, so there's no way of mapping it. I tried."

"Three days?" Kaiba growled at Yugi, not having that sort of time and impatient to find and crush Bakura.

"Didn't you notice?" Joey looked amused, "Yami screwed up Yugi's lessons so bad, I thought he was gonna get Yugi kicked out of school."

Hermione, who had already heard this story, turned away as Seto made some comment about not being in school the majority of the time, and how was he supposed to know what was normal for Yugi, considering Yugi's abysmal tests scores and the amount of weirdness that followed the man around on a regular basis, to examine the room, and tried a different door.

She stepped through when the room seemed empty, looking around carefully, having almost fallen into one of the traps that laced the Puzzle already. She froze when she saw who was on the other side of the room. "YUGI!"

"Hermione!" Yugi darted though, urged on by her tone and stopping dead in his tracks when he saw what she'd seen causing Joey to barrel into him.

Seto took one step into the room, spotted who was on the other side, stepped around the Yugi and Joey pile which was sorting itself out, and stalked forwards. "Bakura!"

Bakura started laughing the moment Kaiba got halfway across the room and, as Yugi and Joey picked themselves up, his form shifted, turning from the white haired man who'd caused them so much grief, into a huge, dragonic serpent demon creature which launched a huge sphere of dark energy at them.

Yugi pushed Kaiba aside and threw up a barrier of pure white light. Instead of impacting and dissolving or exploding, like Yugi's friends expected, the sphere pushed against the barrier, trying to force it's way though.

"Out." Yugi demanded, strain obvious as he fought against the power trying to break through, "Out! OUT!"

Hermione was out first, then Joey dragged Seto out, leaving Yugi to back up slowly, releasing his shield only once they were all safely out and only Yugi was left opposite the open door.

The sphere struck the doorframe and exploded, the shockwave sending Yugi crashing into the wall the other side of the corridor. Surprisingly, the doorway remained intact, and when Hermione slammed the door shut, the demon made no effort to try to open it.

"Now you've seen the real enemy." Shadi said as Joey helped Yugi sit up, "The creature that controls the one you call Bakura."

"What was that?" Hermione squeaked slightly.

"Its name is Zorc." Shadi explained as Yugi, shakily, got to his feet, "It is the one that wants the shadows freed, for if they are freed, he will be too and it would not be long before he destroyed the entire human race."

"Let me guess." Seto glowered at the shut door, "We need to beat it."

"You cannot beat it, Seto Kaiba." Shadi snorted. "Even the Pharaoh at the height of his powers couldn't defeat it. He could only seal it, locking it inside the puzzle with him."

"It's been here, the whole time?" Yugi demanded, remembering the monster he'd been fighting when Yami had found him back when he'd gotten lost and knowing it had taken both of them to defeat it. That monster had looked like a weedier version of the beast that had just attacked them.

"Indeed. But things have changed. The Pharaoh will require his name and the other half of his soul if he's to reign victorious."

Joey looked at Yugi, who had just nodded at this statement, wondering what was meant by that.

"We should move on." Shadi looked around, "Time is short, and all the help in the world will not save the Pharaoh, should Zorc awaken before you find the Pharaoh's name."

Yugi looked around at his friends. Each of them nodded at him.

"Let's go."

* * *

If one word could describe Tea's mood right now, it would be pensive.

For more than four years she had been at Yugi's side, facing everything he'd gone through with him as a friend. Even before he'd completed the Puzzle she'd been at his side, trying to help him. For another four she had lived on letters and supported Yugi that way, because she hadn't been able to get to him to help any other way while he had been at that school of magic.

Last summer had shown her that they still needed each other, even when they didn't really know what to say to each other anymore, and now, when Yami's story was coming to its close, she couldn't be there. Couldn't be where she was supposed to be, at Yugi's side, for what was likely to be the final battle.

There was a feeling in her heart that something was wrong and there was nothing she could do to help.

There just hadn't been enough warning.

It hadn't been because of the dance school. She would have dropped that in a heartbeat if that had been the only thing stopping her, no matter what it meant.

It hadn't been because of her passport, that was always up to date in case she had to travel.

No, the reason she wasn't there was money. She hadn't had enough time to gather the money she needed to buy the tickets to Japan.

She knew that they'd had the tablet brought over to Domino, to prevent Yami's forced departure, but nothing was certain. He could stay or, with the completion of his destiny, he might leave without meaning to...

And she was kicking herself.

This could be it and she couldn't be there.

"Gardener."

She snapped out of her reverie, to find her teacher was watching her carefully. "I'm sorry," Tea started, "I haven't..."

"You're not with it today." Lydia frowned, "The last time you were this out of it, your brothers were coming over..."

Tea let out a small, slightly bitter laugh. "I wish."

"Then what is it? Because if you don't pull yourself together, I'm going to have to pull you out of the production."

"One of my brothers..." Tea paused, wondering how to continue. It wasn't like she could tell the truth. "He's terminally ill..."

"I'm sorry." Lydia apologised honestly, not knowing what else to say. "How long?"

"I thought it would be years, but I got a phone call this morning. There's a possibility that he could be gone by the end of the day." It wasn't a complete lie. Yugi had told her a week ago that they were going to the museum this week, but he had phoned this morning to tell her that today was the day.

Lydia pursed her lips. Suddenly Gardener's lack of concentration made sense. "I'm surprised you're here."

"I don't have enough money to go to Japan." Tea admitted heavily.

Silence fell for a moment, then, "Hang in there until practise is over, then I'll take you out. You can't be on your own while you're waiting for news like this." Lydia put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Who knows, he could pull through yet."

Tea gave her teacher a small, watery smile. "Maybe." It was possible. They'd gone through worse. After all, after Yugi's soul had been taken by Dementors last year, they'd thought he was gone forever and he was still around... "Thanks Lydia..."

"No problem." The black haired, willowy woman smiled softly, "Now, come on, we still need to get you through that last number."

* * *

"Where did he go?"

It was late and Nen had only just gotten a chance to rest, so to find a pissed off Mana blocking his route to the bed was not something he appreciated. "Who?"

"You know full damn well who!" Mana snapped, "Where has Mahado gone?"

"He would not tell me." Nen bit back, a little sharper then intended, still peeved that the High Priest had taken a full complement of men without giving him any warning, "But I did see him speaking with the Pharaoh earlier."

"I tried to speak with the Pharaoh," Mana grouched, "He's refusing to speak with anyone right now. Even me."

Nen frowned, wondering why and if it had to do with Mahado taking off.

"I have a bad feeling about this." Mana murmured as she sank onto the bed, miserably, taking her head dress off and running a hand through her hair.

"I am certain Lord Mahado will return safely." Nen tried to reassure his friend. "It would take a lot to hurt him..."

"Can I stay here tonight?" The girl asked.

It wasn't unusual. He had his own room, and he had often had Mana around to stay. He had heard the jokes being bruited around by his men and while he had stopped the crudest ones before they had gotten out of hand, men were men and the entire palace knew they weren't really together so, other than a warning from Mahado and the Pharaoh, who had been Crown Prince at the time, no one of import had brought it up.

"Of course." Nen nodded, grabbing an extra blanket so that they both had protection from the cold night air.

"Thanks, Nen."

"What are friends for?"

* * *

Joey knew the sight that was before them. It wasn't the first memory they'd run into and there was no way he'd forget that castle, no way he didn't recognise who was duelling, or what was happening in the scene unfurling beyond them.

Yugi froze up the moment he saw it, the memory flooding his mind, the emotions that he'd felt at the time of these memories racing through him once again, causing him to collapse to his hands and knees at the same moment the Yugi in the scene in front of them did.

Joey was the first to react, moving to Yugi's side and grasping his friend's shoulders, "Yuge!" Joey shook his friend, trying to snap the Prince out of it, concerned by the blank look in his eyes, "Yuge, come on pal." Joey turned to look at the others but Hermione was already moving to shut the door.

The door slammed and Yugi gasped for breath, as though his head had just broke the surface of the lake.

"I thought you'd talked that over..." Joey indicated the door, feeling his friend shake in his grip.

"S...sorry." Yugi stammered, "Talking about it is very different from being dropped into the memory headfirst..." He shook off Joey's support, and stood up.

"Is that the first time you've seen that from Yami's perspective?" Joey asked, as Hermione hovered nervously, not knowing what to say, and Kaiba looked away, refusing to look at Yugi.

"That wasn't..." Yugi straightened up, "That was my memory. My emotions..."

"Yugi..." Seto spoke up, turning to look at Yugi, who was still a little pale but was recovering from the shock rather quickly, "I..."

"You were trying to save Mokuba." The Prince replied, giving Seto a small, reassuring, smile. "There's nothing to apologise for."

"Still..." Seto frowned when he saw the look Yugi gained as the hikari looked at their surroundings, "You've worked something out."

"I have." Yugi nodded. "This maze. I've worked out why it keeps getting more and more complicated."

"Go on." Hermione prompted, when Yugi paused as though considering the best course of action.

"This maze doesn't represent the questions in Yami's mind. If it did then it would be getting simpler, not harder and it would be his memories we kept running into, not ours."

"The maze is reflecting our minds." Seto caught it quicker then Hermione did, but only by milliseconds, nodding as he got it.

"The more worried and confused we get the more the more complex it gets." Yugi continued his explanation. "So at this rate..."

"We'll never find the door, because we won't find the answer." Hermione nodded.

"That's all well and good," Joey complained, "But if that's true, how do we find the door?"

"I was here once before, with you." Yugi looked at Shadi, who nodded, "And when we were here, we found a room with large stone tablets that had pictures of Duel Monsters on. At the opposite end of that room was a set of doors, huge doors, which were covered in Egyptian Hieroglyphs. Back then I didn't read Egyptian, and even if I had it was just after I fought with Pegasus, I was in no shape to do anything, but I think that doorway is the one we need."

"Why haven't you mentioned this before?" Seto demanded.

"Because I followed the path he," Yugi indicated Shadi, "took last time. The room isn't there."

"Then why bring it up?" Joey growled, frustrated.

"Because I think we can call the door to us." Yugi replied, patiently. He closed his eyes. "We have to search for him, for the **Pharaoh** , not for Yami, not for Muto, but for the Pharaoh. If we search for Yami or Muto, all we're going to get is who he has been, not who he is now."

"I'll try it." Joey nodded, remembering that moment in the pyramid in India when Yami had appeared to be wearing his clothes from ancient Egypt and holding onto that memory.

"Ok." Hermione nodded, "I'll try."

"If it gets us into this damn game..." Seto nodded.

Yugi closed his eyes, Joey, Hermione and, reluctantly, Seto followed suit.

"Pharaoh, I know you can't hear me," Yugi murmured, "But I'm coming. I'll get you home safely."

' _Pharaoh,'_ Kaiba snorted, having once promised himself he would never call Yugi or Yami by that title, even in the confines of his own head, ' _I'm going to find you, if only to make sure you don't get killed before I take your title.'_

"I've had your back far too long to let you go down now, Pharaoh." Joey growled, "Especially to Bakura."

"Pharaoh. I'm coming to help." Hermione whispered.

Yugi opened his eyes as he felt the magic that surrounded them surge towards them.

There was no flashy light show. No impressive display.

The door just appeared in front of them.

"Guys."

"It worked?" Hermione squeaked, having been the first to react.

"Looks like it." Joey grinned.

"About time." Kaiba snorted.

"Shall we then?" Yugi asked, putting his hand on the door. Ignoring the hieroglyphs.

The door opened without effort, as if just waiting for him to touch it, revealing...

"Bloody hell!" Joey did a good impression of Ron as he beheld the huge landscape below them, "Is that...?"

"Ancient Egypt."

* * *

"No..." The whisper escaped his throat without Yami being aware of it as he stepped down from his throne to move over to the tablet that now housed the soul of the man who had been his friend and protector since childhood. "Mahado..."

He knew that monster that was now pictured on the tablet all too well. There was no way he couldn't.

Upon his death, Mahado had become the Dark Magician. The same Dark Magician that had been stood at his and Yugi's side for the last three years...

"Gods..." Yami reached for the tablet, and then pulled back. He'd feared something like this was coming, but it still hit him hard. He'd been remembering more and more about his friend and this death hit him as hard, if not harder then Kari's had.

Seth and Akhenaden were talking about something, but Yami was too deep in shock to pay attention, though something told Yami he should be doing just that.

"NOOOOOOOOOO!"

Before anyone could move, someone had darted into the throne room and sunk to their knees in front of the tablet.

"Mana." Her scream had knocked the Pharaoh out of his shock and he, in a move that was almost instinctual after the events of the last month, moved to her side, crouched to her level and taken her into his arms, letting her cry on his shoulder.

"It's not fair." He heard her sob, felt her shaking in his arms. She pulled away from him and tear filled dusty blue met ruby as she pleaded, "You have the power to summon him from the stone, don't you?"

Yami hesitated, not because he didn't want to see his friend, but because he wasn't sure he could bare to see him in the guise that he had been locked into for over five thousand years.

"Please, Pharaoh!" Mana begged.

"Mana." Isis spoke up, "Your master is weak." She paused when she saw the look he was getting from both Mana and the Pharaoh, "I meant no offence, just that he has just fought in a great battle. He needs time to recover his strength."

Yami nodded but Mana just started sobbing again, clinging to his chest.

"My Pharaoh." Seth spoke up as Yami rubbed her back, offering what little support he could, "I must speak with you."

Yami looked around and spotted who he was looking for, the blonde who was stood just outside the door, getting as much information from his men as possible. "Nen!" Yami waved him over as best he could.

The Chief of the Royal Guards started and turned to look at him, moving to his side and bowing, "Yes, my Pharaoh?" He asked, trying to keep his emotions out of his voice and failing.

"Take Mana up to my rooms." It was phrased as an order but Yami's tone made it a request, as he eased Mana away from him so he could deal with whatever Seth wanted, "Stay with her. Any reports that need to be made to you can be taken there. I will send food and drink up shortly."

"Yes, my Pharaoh." Nen rose and nodded, taking Mana's hand and leading her from the room.

"Alright, Seth." Yami turned to face the Priest with the Millennium Rod who looked so much like Kaiba, though all he wanted to do was find somewhere quite and alone to grieve, "What is it?"

"Isis cannot see the Tomb Robber, Bakura. Either he is dead, or he has claimed the Ring."

Yami nodded, having assumed that Bakura would have seized the Ring upon Mahado's death and already desiring to reclaim it from the Tomb Robber, if only to avenge his fallen friend. "I assume from your interruption, you have a plan."

"I do, my Pharaoh." Seth nodded, "Allow me to place guards within the city. I believe I will have more luck finding Bakura if I search the city and crack down on those criminals who would aid him."

Yami nodded, "Place the guards, but do not, under any circumstances, allow this to degenerate. The guards are to protect the people, not frighten them. I will not condone any violence against an innocent person, do you understand me, Seth?"

Seth watched him carefully, making Yami wonder if what he had said had been out of character for his ancient persona, then the High Priest nodded. "I will keep the peace, my Pharaoh, be assured of that."

"All right." Yami nodded, "Speak with Nen, he will know which guards would be best suited to your task."

"My Pharaoh..." Seth sounded aggrieved that he should have to take advice from someone below him.

"Nen knows his men better than you do, Seth. It is a wise man who knows when to seek assistance."

Seth bowed to avoid the Pharaoh seeing his scowl. "I understand, my Pharaoh."

Yami just snorted, not believing him for an instant, "Go." Yami dismissed the High Priest, who left the room rapidly with Kalim, who held the Millennium Key, in tow.

"My Pharaoh, what should we do with..." Isis hesitated as she indicated the tablet of the Dark Magician.

"Place Mahado's tablet within my tablet shrine." Yami ordered, "And get food and drink sent to my rooms." His shoulders sank as all the emotions that Mana's scream had startled out of him, sunk back in, "If I am needed again today," He said softly, "You will find me there."

Isis smiled softly, sadly, with great understanding, "I understand, my Pharaoh."


	4. Seeking Light

Considering they'd jumped out of a door in the middle of the sky, landing was a lot easier and a lot less painful then Joey had expected.

Oh of course he had to be the one to land wrong and end up flat on his face, but then, by this point he was used to being the comedic relief when things were getting a little too serious, so he wasn't too angry when Yugi and Hermione chuckled at him as he picked himself up, though he could have done without Seto's sarcastic, "Nice landing, mutt."

"Yeah, well..." Joey's retort died on his lips as one of the many citizens of the town they'd landed in walked straight through him. "Okay that was weird..."

"They can't see us, can they?" Hermione asked, watching the busy town in work around them.

"It's probably a good thing." Yugi said, looking around himself and wondering where Shadi had gone, "People don't normally just fall out of the sky."

"No, I suppose you're the only one crazy enough to willingly jump off a building." Joey snorted, remembering something Yugi had told him about.

"In my defence Kaiba jumped too." Yugi said, remembering the escape from the virtual world too.

"Yeah, and no one ever said Rich-Boy was sane either."

"My psychological welfare is well documented, mutt." Seto snorted, having always considered himself saner then the rest of the group he hung around with. "And I am nowhere near as crazy as the lot of you."

"How much did you pay the psychologist to write that on the..." Joey trailed off when a teenager around Serenity's age was chucked out of a nearby tavern and hit the floor, a crowd swiftly swarming around her.

"You're not welcome here!" A huge man with an imposing girth snarled, "I have no food for your type!"

"Please, just a crust..." The teen pleaded, her white hair almost grey with dirt, tears in her blue eyes.

"It's strangers like you who've brought this chaos down this on our heads!" Another man spoke up, picking up a stone.

Seto was moving as the man pulled his arm back to throw the stone, and, as the stone left the man fingers, the CEO, who had acted on a feeling he couldn't possibly explain, attempted to block the stone with his own body.

"Protego!"

A barrier appeared around the CEO and the teen and the stone ricocheted off and struck someone else in the crowd.

"Damn Kaiba," Joey growled as they joined him in the middle of a growing mob, just as surprised by the CEO's actions as Seto himself. "You know her reincarnation or something?"

Seto didn't dignify Joey's question with a response, only nodded at Hermione, whose shield was currently protecting them, and wondered if her shield spell, while he was relieved it had worked, wasn't going to cause more problems than it was going to solve, as two more stones ricocheted off of the shield before the crowd stopped throwing stones and started murmuring something about magic.

"What's going on here?"

The crowd parted, revealing two rather important looking men and at least three men in uniform with swords.

"Bloody hell..." Joey gaped, looking between one of the men and Kaiba as the shield spell fell, "Is that...?"

Seto was horribly aware of who the man who stepped towards them looked like and, as he stepped through Seto the pair of them locked eyes, just for a moment or so, then the man, who was carrying the Millennium Rod, had walked straight through him and was helping the girl to her feet.

"Thank you." She murmured, glancing at Hermione only briefly, as one of the Millennium Item wielders told the other that the girl had a Ka so powerful that the Millennium Scales couldn't measure it properly.

"Come with me." The one who had stepped through Seto said to the girl, "You'll be safe with us."

"Alright." She nodded, accepting the priest's hand, but stepping around the group rather than walking straight through one of them.

They watched the priests leave and the guards split up to stand guard, but none of it quite registered in Seto's mind.

There was no denying that the priest who had helped that teenager and had been carrying the Millennium Rod had, in fact, been him...

"Seto?" Yugi asked cautiously, almost warily, wondering what was going through the CEO's mind considering he'd always denied any link to the Millennium Items or Yami's past...

When Yugi got no answer, Joey sighed. "At least we know wand magic works here."

"I suppose it's because we're outside the rules." Yugi considered, "Or there might be some other reason..."

"So what? We're invisible, can't touch anyone or anything, but we can still cast spells?" Joey demanded.

"Apparently."

"I don't think we're invisible to everyone." Hermione spoke up, watching Seto like he was a bomb about to explode. "That girl seemed to see us."

"The priests could see us too." Seto finally spoke up, ignoring the worried look on Yugi's face and the wariness on Hermione's face, refusing to talk about the fact that there HAD been a priest who looked like him within Yami's court, "They just ignored us."

"I can imagine seeing spirits who look like yourself and your King would be pretty disconcerting." Joey snorted, not stupid enough to prod the CEO, whose temper was legendary, about the priests or the girl, "But what does that mean? Anyone with a Millennium Item can see us?"

"The girl didn't have one." Yugi said softly.

"How could you tell?" Hermione asked, confused since she didn't think Yugi had gotten a good enough look to tell.

"I can sense them, even without the Puzzle."

Joey wheeled around to look at Yugi carefully. How had he not noticed that Yugi wasn't wearing the Puzzle? "When did you take it off?"

"If you hadn't noticed, Wheeler," Oh yeay, crotchety Kaiba, this would make this trip sooo much fun... "He hasn't had it since we entered the Puzzle." He looked around, considering the surroundings, "And it makes far more sense that those with magic can see us where their Muggle companions cannot, like the ghosts of Hogwarts."

"Wait, so we're dead?" Joey yelped.

"We were never born in Yami's time... well... not us us anyway, so we can't BE dead here." Yugi sighed, "And besides, we're outside the rules, we're probably not meant to be seen by any non-player piece."

"Wait, so this is like a giant version of the Monster World game?" Joey asked, "With player characters and NPCs?"

"I believe that's what Yugi just said." Seto growled, "Now can we get past all this time wasting? You have a name to find, and I have a Tomb Robber to defeat."

"Hey, I'm not stupid!" Joey growled at him, "I just want to know, if this is a Monster World game, who's the Game Master? Because someone has to control events..."

"You know what, Joey?" Yugi said, eyes widening, face paling slightly, "That's not the most reassuring thing you've ever said."

* * *

Draco woke far later than usual, the warm light of mid morning waking him. He stared at the light in confusion, and glanced across to the other bed where his sort of brother tossed and turned.

"Ryou?" Draco asked, crossing the small space between the beds.

"Go 'way 'Kura." Ryou muttered, pulling the pillow over his head.

Draco hesitated. "Are you sick?" He asked curiously, sitting beside his almost brother. "I bet it was the fish last night. I told you..."

Magic lashed out, followed by a fist, and Draco wasn't sure which hit him as he went flying across the room. He crashed into the bed, and cursed the narrow hardness of hotel beds.

Draco reacted, rolling the rest of the way off the bed and taking cover behind it, panic roaring in his ears. Ryou had hit him. Ryou had Hit him.

Bewildered eyes were watching him. "Draco...?" Ryou was shaking. There was no ring. No sharpness behind the eyes. "I think. I think you should go."

Draco stared at him.

The wild magic pulsed. Shadows. He could almost feel them stirring.

Draco's eyes flickered to the door behind Ryou.

Bakura was dangerous. Deadly dangerous. Purposely dangerous.

Ryou wasn't. Ryou was the puppet. Ryou was controlled.

Only now Draco couldn't remember why he had ever thought of the other boy as 'safe'.

"Leave!" Ryou hissed, and Draco scrambled around the room, staying as far away as he could.

Falling out into the hallway, an older woman watched him bemusedly.

"Room service, with compliments." She said, handing over the tray into Draco's unresisting arms, and placing a card on top the tray.

Watching her leave, Draco slid the card off the tray. Then glared at it.

There was no way he was going back in that room.

Sliding the tray around the door, Ryou could have it if he wanted, Draco read the card.

Then read it again.

Another taunt. He screwed it up, and then started tearing the card apart.

She knew where they were. She always knew. Always managed to track them down. But if they stopped trying... Bakura would not be pleased.

They were meant to be hunting her. Instead of running, or hiding or responding in any rational manner, she treated it like it was a game. Like she was so far beyond them that they had no hope of catching her.

She should be running in terror. Living in constant fear.

"I've been told that walls tend to be harder than fists." A familiar female voice told him.

He spun, and stared at her. She was here. Now. In front of him.

He reached for his wand and came up empty.

His wand!

"Did the hounds of hell chase you out of your room? I didn't think anything less would make a wizard forget his wand." She shook her head, "Even then I bet most would have grabbed it without thinking. Tools of power are like that."

Options. What was he meant to do? What could he do? Ryou was meant to be here...

He couldn't hold her.

"So... Breakfast?" When she didn't get any response, she poked him in the head. "Hello, any one in there?"

* * *

Yami was sat on the throne, listening to his priests' debate about some nuance of some law or another and not understanding why it was taking so long to find Bakura. In Yugi's time he had been easy to find, especially when they didn't want to find him.

Perhaps that was the problem, perhaps they were trying too hard to find him and when they stopped looking, the Tomb Robber would show up...

He hadn't seen Mana in days, she'd been practising her magic with a passion she hadn't had before Mahado's death, when it had seemed like she'd have forever to learn what was needed, and no one else in the palace was a friend like she was and Mahado had been.

He was knocked out of his brooding by an explosion from outside.

"My Pharaoh." A guard appeared in the doorway and ignored all the rules and protocols by addressing Yami directly without proper introduction, "Bakura's within the palace walls..."

Yami didn't need any more information. Bakura had killed enough of his people already.

He rushed out of the throne room, heading for the great gates, where Nen and his men, backed up by Mana's magic, were fighting Bakura and Diabound.

"Bakura!" Yami bellowed as he exited the palace, passing Nen as he did so, catching the Tomb Robber's attention.

Bakura smirked at the Pharaoh and fled.

"Not this time." Yami darted towards the stables, mounting his horse quickly, without a saddle, and chased Bakura out into the city.

"Think you can stop me? Pharaoh?" Bakura taunted as Diabound struck, causing several buildings to collapse, his voice somehow carrying over the noise of the wind as it passed Yami by and the cries from the villagers whose homes had been destroyed.

"Osiris!" Yami bellowed, envisioning Slifer the Sky Dragon and relieved when it appeared. The God monster kept low, spreading its wings out to protect the town.

"You can't protect them forever, Pharaoh!" Bakura cackled as Diabound opened fire.

The blasts struck Slifer, causing the God monster to bellow in pain and Yami to flinch as the pain echoed through him.

"You won't hurt anyone else, Bakura!" Yami snarled back. "Slifer, THUNDER FORCE ATTACK!"

The Divine creature, as angry as his summoner, blasted the Tomb Robber's fiend.

Except that it missed.

Diabound vanished into the darkness, leaving Slifer glaring furiously at the empty spot it had been in.

Yami looked over his shoulder quickly as he heard the ground shake.

Something was churning up the sands, heading towards him…

' _It's in the ground!'_ Yami realised, sending his horse into a gallop to try to escape, far too aware that it was catching up, even as Slifer streaked towards him to try to protect him…

"Die." Bakura cackled as Diabound leapt out of the ground and swiped at him.

Osiris, without prompting, blasted Diabound at short range, not killing the fiend but wounding it heavily and knocking it far away from the Pharaoh.

Too close…

Diabound, who'd taken off after his Master, who had now reached the outskirts of the town, flew through the darkness, far too close to the city for Yami's liking.

"Slifer! To me!"

They couldn't catch the pair, but they could mitigate the damage.

Diabound managed to destroy a few more houses before Slifer sent it scurrying and got its body between the city and the fiend again.

' _For a better world, for the good of the people! That's your creed, isn't it Pharaoh?'_ Bakura thought, sniggering, _'Well, let's see how long you can stand between us and them…'_ "DIABOUND!"

Slifer bellowed again and this time Yami tensed up, taking a deep breath to dispel the pain.

"You're trapped, Pharaoh!" Bakura sniggered, "Your dragon moves, I'll blast the city!" Diabound got above Slifer, "One blast from Diabound will annihilate your God!"

Yami scowled. From Diabound's position it had a perfect shot, Slifer would never survive, not unless…

"Diabound, White Lightening Attack!"

"Lightening Strike!"

The God was faster, using its own attack to push it straight up, turning in mid air so he was facing Diabound and a second Lightening Strike blasted the fiend, interrupting the attack that had been coming.

This time it was Bakura who felt his beast's pain.

"Slifer, pull Diabound into the air!" Yami ordered, trying to get the battle away from his civilians, knowing that his dragon would be stronger in the air and hoping he could hit Diabound before it vanished again. "Attack!"

Diabound was gone before Slifer's attack could hit and something within the city exploded.

"LEAVE THEM OUT OF THIS, BAKURA!" Yami bellowed, furious.

Bakura muttered something, but Yami didn't catch what it was in time to help his God monster, who was blasted by a White Lightening Attack that forced a pained cry from both Pharaoh and beast.

Bakura's laughter caused the Pharaoh to raise his head and scowl at the Tomb Robber, who had stopped on a ridge and was cackling wildly and posturing as he claimed that this destruction was the 'will of the Millennium items'.

Even as Bakura talked Yami was formulating a plan. Slifer was heavily injured, Yami could sense that one more blow would kill the God monster, and if Slifer went there would be nothing between Bakura and the town…

Yami took off the Puzzle, causing Bakura to focus on him completely.

"So you're surrendering?" Bakura sounded amused.

' _Just a few more moments…'_ Yami thought, as Slifer closed in from above, preparing to blast Bakura. Then a purple flash caused Yami to freeze up, fear crossing his features and Slifer to stop mid attack.

Diabound had appeared out of nowhere and his claws were inches from Yami's face.

It was over.

Yami was going to die…

"Even the swiftest of Gods can't move a muscle while his master is held hostage." Bakura smirked, enjoying the sight of the Pharaoh's fear. "I can't gain all of the Millennium Items while you still live."

Yami swallowed hard. Was this how it had ended? Was this how he'd died all those years ago?

"Die."

Yami cringed, closing his eyes, knowing what was coming.

Bakura's scream wasn't it…

The Pharaoh's eyes flew open, revealing Duos, Seth's Guardian Spirit, who had cut off the hand that had been within striking range of the King.

If Yami wasn't mistaken, relief crossed the Kaiba lookalike's face, but it was gone by the time Yami was done reassuring his priests of his safety and putting the Puzzle back on.

While this was going on Diabound vanished into the darkness again.

Yami swayed on his horse, exhausted, before straightening, hoping none of his priests had seen it, as Seto ordered the men with him, and Yami noticed Nen wasn't among their number, to evacuate the city, while the cavalry went after Bakura who had vanished with his beast. The only reason they knew he was still around was because Shada's Ka got blasted by a Spiral Wave attack.

"My Pharaoh, you're not well." Shada had and with his words, Seth and Kalim turned to give Yami a concerned look, "The Sky Dragon is badly injured. Please, return to the palace and leave this to us priest. If the Sky Dragon dies, your life will be in danger."

"No." Yami shook his head, trying to shift the dizziness, "I'll fight till the end! That is the duty of the Pharaoh!" For all his brave words, Yami wasn't sure how long he could hold on, Slifer was drawing from his strength and the weaker the God got, the weaker Yami got…

Shada tried again, reminding Yami that, as Pharaoh, he was the embodiment of a God and his light was what the people looked to.

All his words managed to do was remind Yami of his hikari and the amount of times Bakura had harmed the boy because of his desire for the Millennium Items and how hard Yugi had fought in the Capsule Monster's world to protect everyone...

Slifer, obeying Yami's silent command, wrapped itself around the remaining Ka beasts, shielding them.

Kalim couldn't understand why the Pharaoh would send his divine creature to be a shield for their creatures, but Seth figured it out as Bakura's bellow could be heard.

"Diabound, attack!"

The blow struck the God monster head on, disintegrating it.

Agony ran through Yami as he coughed up blood.

"Duos!" Seth, worried about his Pharaoh but unable to risk missing the opportunity to strike, bellowed up to his Ka.

His Ka struck at the point that the attack had originated from.

Events passed him by as the Pharaoh attempted to stay upright on his horse.

Seth's attack missed, striking a minor Ka rather than Diabound.

Yami's plan had failed, the King had nothing left to summon with and the tide of battle was now on Bakura's side.

"We can't defeat it while it hides in the darkness." Kalim growled.

' _Ra…'_ Yami thought weakly, eyes closed, having trouble drawing breath. _'But my Ba is…'_

"Yami!" He was hearing things, he had to be, but he opened his eyes, hoping beyond hope that his friends weren't really there and in danger with him.

"Y…Yugi?" Yami asked weakly as his hikari moved to his side.

Yugi wasn't the only one there; Joey, Hermione and Seto were there too… he had to be hallucinating…

"Sit up, Yami." Yugi murmured, giving him a small smile.

"I'm…" Yami wondered if his priests could see his friends, or whether it looked like the loss of so much Ba had affected his mind.

"You can still fight." Yugi promised, "You left half of your soul with me." He took Yami's hand.

It was no illusion…

It WAS Yugi…

Power rushed through the Pharaoh, as together they called on the strongest of the Gods, whose light pierced even the darkness of the night, as if it was midday in the desert, revealing Diabound.

"ATTACK!" Bakura's voice screeched.

Diabound opened fire on Ra but Seth was ready for it, shielding the God with Duos' sword, protecting his King and the ghost who looked so much like him, the priest able to sense the power radiating from the spirit who seemed to have his own guards.

Never mind that one of them looked like him…

"Thank you, Seth." Yami nodded towards his priest, "Ra, attack!"

The incredibly powerful God Monster shifted into its unstoppable phoenix mode and rushed at Diabound, leaving fire streaking across the sky in its wake.

Diabound never stood a chance.

The intense flames burned the fiend to ashes.

Somewhere, at the same time Diabound died, Bakura, the Tomb Robber, died with him.

It was over.

"Pharaoh did it!" Cheers rose from the people around them, "Our living God destroyed the darkness!"

' _Not I.'_ Yami thought, smiling at his partner, who looked tired but happy, _'Ra destroyed Diabound and I never would have summoned him without Yugi…'_

The Pharaoh gazed at his friends. How they'd gotten here was beyond him.

"You do see us, don't you Yami?" Hermione asked, biting her lower lip, a habit she'd picked up from Kari.

' _Yami… that's my name in Yugi's time…'_ Yami thought sadly as he nodded and smiled at her, glad, for once, that Yugi's mind wasn't bound to his at that moment, _'Even here I still don't know my true name…'_

"Looking fancy. If you'd worn that to the Yule Ball, you'd have had more dates then you'd've known what to do with." Joey chuckled.

Yami snorted in amusement, still trying to work out why they had come. Not that he was sorry they had done, but he couldn't work out how they had gotten into the world that appeared to consist of his memories from Egypt.

"Are you alright, Yami?" Yugi asked, concerned for his injured dark.

"I believe so." Yami nodded, amused by Kaiba's surliness. "I take it you wanted to deal with Bakura?" He asked the CEO who just scowled.

"We should go." Yugi backed away from his dark, letting go of Yami's hand, dismissing Ra and causing the Pharaoh to frown in confusion.

"Yugi?"

"We're not here to interfere in your memories. Not really." Yugi said, looking, not embarrassed but unsure whether he'd done the wrong thing in saving his dark, if he'd messed up something important, "We're here to find your name."

"You'd do that for me?" Yami asked, surprised, though he supposed he shouldn't be.

"Of course, we're your… what the hell is that?" Joey demanded, looking up at the sky, where night had fallen once again and a demonic form had superimposed itself over the night sky.

 _It's been a long time Pharaoh._ A voice echoed through the minds of everyone present, _Though you don't remember me._

"Who are you?" Yami demanded, cantering a few steps forward and placing himself between the apparition and Yugi.

_My name is Zorc Necrophades. I rule this world of memory._

"There's your Game Master, Joey." Hermione murmured.

' _Game Master?'_ Yami wondered, but Zorc was speaking again.

_Your friends have changed the course of history. You've even defeated my Bakura. This I can't allow. Not yet. Such a pity, but your reunion with your heir ends here. Behold my power…_

The demon Game Master threw out his arms and a howling wind started up that had them throwing up their arms to defend themselves.

_Memory Reverse!_

Time started flowing backwards as Yami grasped his hikari's arm instinctively, not knowing what was going on, but feeling like he should.

Diabound reappeared, Ra left taking the re-summoned light with him, Yugi was torn from Yami's grasp and vanished back into the darkness of the night, along with the rest of Yami's friends from the modern age…

And once again pain wracked the Pharaoh as he spat out blood.

Time stopped rewinding just in time for Osiris to die a second time.

In the time it took Yami to recover, Seto's beast had been struck down.

The Pharaoh sent his horse into a gallop.

The only way to stop all this death now, was for him to stop Bakura…

* * *

They were supposed to be meeting up with Mai at the Kaiba Land Asia theme park, where there was due to be a Battle City style Duel Monsters Tournament starting in three days time that Yugi and Yami were supposed to be taking part in… if they reappeared, but they'd missed Mai at the entrance and the park was heaving with summer tourists, so while they'd phoned the blonde Duelist to find out where she was, they were having trouble getting to the arena.

 _Cub…_ Wolf stopped and sniffed the air, his fur standing on end.

"I know, Wolf, I know." Harry placed a hand on the unhappy Gold Winged Wolf's head. It wasn't just the crowds, who appeared to think that Wolf was a tourist attraction that was bothering the Winged Beast, Harry could feel the currents of Shadow flowing in a way that he hadn't since the last time Yugi and Yami had been practising monster summoning and even that hadn't flowed as thickly as what he was sensing.

It wasn't helping him keep his promise to Sirius to focus on something other than the battle that Yugi and the others were currently involved in, but it was allowing him to see who out of the people around him were touched by the Shadows like he and the non item wielders were.

There weren't many, in fact the ones he most commonly sensed the Shadows weaving around were Duelists he recognised, either from tournaments he'd fought in this summer or memories handed down to him by the Kings of Games, past and present.

He wondered if this was what his friends sensed when the magic was flying thick and fast during one of their tournaments, or whether they knew how to block it.

"Harry!"

 _`Speaking of Shadows weaving around a Duelist,`_ Harry thought as he considered the blonde who'd helped him all summer, _`I don't think I've ever felt Shadows that thick.`_ Not that he had much experience, considering that he'd only really started sensing the Shadows since he'd been accidently linked to Yugi and Yami.

"Hey Mai!" Harry weaved through the crowd and joined his friend, "How are you?"

Mai snorted, "About as on edge as you are." She said, amethyst eyes scanning the crowd (more than once this summer Harry had wondered if Mai was related to Yugi in anyway since he was the only other person he knew with eyes that colour), "You feel it, don't you."

"I wasn't expecting this concentration of Duelists until tomorrow or Wednesday." Harry nodded, wondering if it was the magic telling her or Duelist instinct, considering Yugi and Joey had told him multiple times that Mai wasn't magical.

"Well, at least we know people are taking this seriously." Mai said, paused, looked at Sirius and said, "No." Before turning back to an amused Harry, "Though I do wonder how many people are going to go after Yugi this time."

Harry, who had believed the tales Yugi had told him about tournaments he and the others had competed in long before he'd been able to see the memories backing them up, shrugged. He had a funny feeling that the people who'd been muscling Duelists out of tournaments and the weirdoes he'd bumped into so far were going to be nothing compared to the insanity that was going to hit over the next few days.

"When are we meeting up with the others?" Mai asked, reminding Harry that the others had been supposed to be meeting up with them this afternoon, but that had been before Hermione's parents had decided to take her to Japan and Yugi and Yami had decided to go today, before their nerves broke.

"It depends." Harry's tone told her volumes.

"The tournament hasn't even started yet!" She protested.

"I know, I know." Harry threw up his hands, "But…" He looked around. "Can we take this somewhere private?"

Mai frowned, it was that bad? "Sure, there's a café around here that does private rooms for Duelists. We can talk there."

* * *

"Get out of the way, Bakura!"

They needed to get past. With time rewound Yami was dying, without Yugi's help he'd be defeated by the ancient version of the Tomb Robber, while the modern version had stepped into their path, and summoned two bodyguards, blocking the path to Yami.

"I can't let you help the Pharaoh." Bakura shook his head. "Only I get to change time."

"You're not Bakura…" Yugi realised, drawing his wand, "Who are you?"

"I'm about as close to the Bakura you know as you're going to get." 'Bakura sniggered, "What would you say if I told you Zorc sealed part of his soul into the Ring five thousand years ago?"

"You're…" Yugi's eyes widened in realisation.

"That's right, I'm Zorc Necrophades." The white haired Duelist gloated.

"Bakura, Zorc, I don't care. You're the one who hurt Mokuba." Kaiba stalked forward, a Duel Disk appearing on his arm without anyone summoning it, "And for that you will pay."

Zorc looked amused as he called his own Duel Disk, which, unlike Kaiba's, grew out of his arm. "I like these modern diadums." The Shadow demon commented, "They're so much easier to use then the ones the Pharaoh and his priests have."

"Stop talking and duel me." Kaiba snarled. "Once you're out of our way, Mokuba will be free and we can go save his royal pain in the ass."

"You'll never reach him in time." Zorc snorted. "Alright Seth, it's time to duel."

"My name is Seto Kaiba." The CEO snapped as he drew his first hand, smirking at the cards within it, "And you will regret ever messing with my family."


	5. Seeking Answers

"I think I'll go first." Zorc/Bakura said, smirking, "But be warned, Seth. This is a Shadow Game and you are outside the rules. When you lose, the Shadows will claim you and there will be no way back, even if your 'family'," Bakura's eyes swept the group behind Kaiba, "Manages to defeat me, which they won't."

"Seto?" Hermione asked nervously.

"Stay out of this Granger." Kaiba growled, calling Hermione by her surname for the first time since the Chamber of Secrets had been opened, causing the teenage witch to back off.

"I set one card face down." Zorc called, putting the card on his Duel Disk and watching, amused, as the card appeared on the field, face down, floating between the two Duellists. "It's your move, Seth."

Kaiba didn't bother to correct him, not considering that, with the cards in his hand the duel would be over this turn. "I summon my Lord of D. and play Flute of Summoning Dragon, allowing me to summon these straight to the field."

Hermione cheered as two of his Blue Eyes White Dragons took the field on Kaiba's first turn.

"Then I activate Pot of Greed, allowing me to draw two cards and play Polymerisation to fuse them together with the Blue Eyes in my hand to create my Ultimate creature!" In a burst of bright the Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon appeared on the field. "And I activate Quick Attack, allowing my dragon to attack you this turn." The white scaled dragon loosed a roar that spoke clearly of her anger towards the Tomb Robber, "Now, Bakura, you'll pay for what you did to my brother!" Seto roared, "Blue Eyes!"

The huge, three headed dragon launched an attack from all three heads, more than happy to blow away the Tomb Robber in one, incredible, blast of light.

Bakura smirked. "I activate my face down card, Zoma the Spirit!"

"Seto, call back your attack!" Yugi yelped, fully aware of Zoma's effect.

It was too late. Even as the fiend appeared on the field, smirking at Kaiba, the attack hit home, blowing away the sneering fiend, only for it to reappear on the field as a ghost.

"What's the meaning of this, Bakura?" Kaiba demanded, wary of the ghost considering Yugi didn't tell people to recall their attacks very often. Not that you could in the card game (unless you were Yugi, which he wasn't).

"I thought you were supposed to be good at this game Kaiba," Zorc gloated, giving the CEO a sinister smile as he did so, "You fell right into my trap."

"Yuge?" Joey asked, certain he'd heard of the card, but wanting confirmation on the details.

"You see," Zorc continued before Yugi could explain, his spirit monster floating there, waiting for directions, "When Zoma is destroyed, you lose life points equal to the attack point of the monster who destroyed it, and since you blasted Zoma with Blue Eyes Ultimate…"

Joey swore, already working out that Blue Eyes Ultimate's attack points were more than high enough for Zoma to wipe Kaiba out.

Seto's eyes widened and he took a step back, realising that, just like that, it was all over…

"In other words, you're dead." Zorc finished, gesturing forward, ushering the spirit to attack.

The spirit launched itself at Kaiba, mouth wide.

"I'm sorry, Mokuba… I've failed you again." Seto's arms fell to his sides as the CEO accepted the punishment for failure.

"No!" Hermione screeched, "Seto!"

* * *

Bakura had been waiting for him; the fact wasn't a reassuring one.

"Bakura! Stop hurting innocent people! They have nothing to do with this!" Yami demanded. He had little faith that the words would work, considering that in Yugi's time Bakura had deliberately drawn a pregnant woman into a Shadow Game, but he had nothing left to summon with, so words were all he could use.

Those and his fists, but Bakura was staying well out of reach.

Bakura let out a mirthless chuckle. "When your God was defeated, you ran out of Ba didn't you?" The Tomb Robber smirked. "So your lectures are all you have left." The thief kind turned towards the city and pointed, "Look."

"Do you see the palace?" Bakura asked the Pharaoh, "You've never seen it from afar like this, have you? You've been too busy throwing your power around for that." The thief turned back to the Pharaoh, "But you see, to a thief like me, if I can see it, I can steal it. Power, cities, even lives. If getting everything you want makes you a King, then I, Bakura, King of Thieves, am a King even greater than you, oh Pharaoh."

"You don't own anything." Yami growled back, "You're only putting out the lives and hopes of the people in the city!"

Bakura smirked and closed his eyes. "It doesn't matter what you think." He said far too calmly for Yami's liking. "Because I win."

With that the ground gave out underneath the Pharaoh, torn away from below by Diabound. The horse Yami was riding fell into the abyss, but the Pharaoh managed to grab onto the edge with one hand.

"Pharaoh!" Shada's voice reached him. "Hold on!"

As Yami went to put his second hand up, to get a better grip and try to pull himself up, Bakura stalked over to the ledge and seized the rope the Puzzle hung from. "I'll take this." He said, yanking so hard the cord snapped and Yami nearly lost his grip. "And now," Bakura said, stepping on Yami's hand, causing the Pharaoh to have to fight to hold off a wince, "I'll trample you."

With that he stomped hard on Yami's fingers, causing them to let go reflexively.

Yami fell.

And the World of the Pharaoh's Memories vanished into darkness.

* * *

**_15 years before…_ **

Egypt was in trouble.

The foreign forces that were invading had crossed Egypt's borders and annihilated the last of the army. In seven days the enemy would reach the palace and there was nothing they could do to stop it.

However, Pharaoh Akhenamkhanen's brother, had come up with a solution. He was the High Priest Akhenaden, keeper of The Millennium Tome. The Tome whole reason for the invasion and had finally been translated after a hundred years. Though the Pharaoh was loath to do it, he agreed to Akhenaden's plan to create seven treasures that would give their wielders powers over the Shadows, which would allow them to take on an entire army.

There was no choice. It was either that or let the Tome fall into the hands of the enemy and bear witness to the destruction of, not only Egypt, but quite possibly the rest of the continent.

The Pharaoh, his first wife and their son, born only a week ago watched as Akhenaden, a pair of magicians and a select number of men drawn from the forces that protected the palace, rode off to complete the Shadow Alchemy that would, hopefully, save the palace.

They couldn't know the cost of what Akhenaden was going to do.

In order to save the lives of the Pharaoh, his son, and those of the citizens, Akhenaden would commit an act of mass sacrifice. The ritual required ninety nine human deaths. The village of thieves, Kul Elna, had been pre-selected to pay the cost of the Shadow Alchemy that would save the country.

Akhenaden would never know until it was too late that there had been one survivor of the massacre.

One little boy who had seen... everything.

And the Pharaoh, who frowned upon cruelty would never know what the cost of saving his country was until it was far too late to undo it.

All he knew was that, on the seventh day, when the army reached the palace, the six chosen priests and the Pharaoh used the golden 'treasures' to call down the gods and demons of their souls and decimate the attacking army.

Akhenaden's golden treasures saved the throne.

But their creation set in motion events that would span over thousands of years and doomed Akhenamkhanen's son to five thousand years of darkness.

* * *

**_The Royal Palace, four days after Yami's fall…_ **

"I don't care if you have to drain the Nile. Find him!"

Nen nodded and got to his feet. Over the last four days he'd stretched his men to their limit trying to find the Pharaoh and, though he hated to say it, it was looking less and less likely that they were going to find the Pharaoh.

Mana was waiting for him at the doors, hovering nervously, hoping beyond hope that he had some good news.

He couldn't look at her. Luckily he didn't have to as Isis called her into the throne room as he passed to discuss something with the former protégé of the fallen wielder of the Millennium Ring.

He just hoped that he had news, once way or the other soon.

Not that Nen was the only one looking for an answer to a problem.

While Seth, Kalim and Isis was certain the Pharaoh would be found and would return to the palace safely, Akhenaden was looking to the possibility that they may have to crown the next Pharaoh and was fully aware that, since he was the Pharaoh's Uncle, his son would be in next-in-line for the throne.

Not that Seth was aware that he was of royal blood. When Akhenaden had gone to Kul Elna to complete the ritual that would create the Millennium Items, he had left his wife and son, who had been far too young to remember his father, with a decent amount of money and sent them to live far away from the palace, both because of the coming invasion and because if there was but one survivor of his plans, his family would be in danger.

To say it had been a shock when Seth had presented himself at the palace during the search for Shimon's successor would be an understatement.

And now the Pharaoh was gone, likely dead at the hands of the man who called himself the King of Thieves, and a successor would have to be named if the Pharaoh was gone for too much longer. The throne of Egypt could not remain empty forever.

Especially if Isis's vision was right and there was a darkness on the horizon that would consume the country and leave it in despair.

"Lord Seth." The wielder of the Millennium Rod turned to the guard that was bowing to him. "I have a report to make."

"Go on." Seth nodded, noting that this was one of the men that he'd entrusted the care of girl of the white dragon to.

"She's awake."

Akhenaden noticed Seth's eyes widen and overheard his son say that she was to be taken to the Underground, immediately. He followed the other, much younger, High Priest out of the throne room, only to be shocked when Seto informed him that the woman had a God Ka resting within her, one whose powers were so great that Kalim's Millennium Scales hadn't been able to weigh it properly.

This was brilliant news, perfect even.

Considering that the Pharaoh had fallen because Bakura's Ka beast had managed to defeat Osiris, one of the most powerful beasts ever to answer to a human's hand, and even then they only answered to the hand of the divine Pharaoh, the next Pharaoh would require a power stronger than one of the God monsters if he ever hoped to bring down the Tomb Robber.

And this White Dragon could be the answer to the problem.

* * *

Far above ground, far away from the torture chambers where men, under Seth's orders, were working on increasing the power of some of the demon Ka beasts within the souls of some of the prisoners, Mana was talking to the guardian of the Royal Library.

"The scrolls you need are on the desk just inside the balcony doors." Sera said, running a hand through her bushy brown hair, frustration obvious in her brown eyes, as she turned to look at Mana, "I'm still hunting down the ones Lord Seth asked me to find."

Sera had been a friend of Mahado too, and the eighteen year old had grown up in the palace under the tutelage of Isis. Unlike Mana, however, she had finished her training.

When Sera had completed her training, Isis had asked the Pharaoh, and received his permission, to assign her to the library, but, with the blessings of her patron, Sera had taken Mana under her wing when Mahado had been killed by Bakura and was helping her complete her training by providing the reading material and giving a practical demonstration whenever necessary.

"Is it anything I can help you with?" Mana asked, concerned, only for Sera to shake her head and gesture towards the scrolls. The older teen, knowing from Mahado about the way Mana tended to be easily distracted from her studies hadn't allowed such distraction under her. Not that Mana had allowed herself to stray quite as often either.

It was like the death of her tutor, and now the disappearance of her childhood friend, had made her focus on her studies and try to become powerful enough to help the people around her the next time that they got into trouble.

Sera flitted around the shelves, pulling scrolls and tablets down and reorganising the ones that had been put back in the wrong order or in the wrong place, a habitual problem here when she wasn't on duty. She would rather people left them on the tables for her to pack away then they put them in the wrong place, making hunts like this one difficult.

Mana, in the meantime, had settled at the table and started reading, glancing at her tutor out of the corner of her eye every now and again, becoming amused by Sera's frustrated mumbling, only to become distracted when, outside the window, a beam of light shot out of the ground and pierced the dawn skies.

"What in the name of the Gods?" Sera darted to the balcony, trying to see what was going on.

Mana, who was flash blinded from the sudden bright light, attempted to move to her side, only to trip over one of the chairs. "Sera?" Mana asked as she fumbled around, using the table to help herself to her feet and trying to blink away the spots of light that plagued her vision. "What…?"

"I'm not sure." The librarian replied. "Stay here. I'll be back." With that Sera hurried from the library.

It was unlike Sera, Mana mused as she righted the chair she'd knocked over, to leave the sanctity of the Royal Library. Sera even had a bedroom whose door led onto one of the library's many aisles, but then with so many of the priests either injured or searching for the Pharaoh she supposed that everyone was having to do things they wouldn't normally do.

Bakura's attack on the palace had caused everything to change and the ripples created by the assault were still spreading.

She wanted to help everyone, wanted to be like Mahado and Sera and be able to summon her Ka beast to help the others fight the Tomb Robber, but to do that she needed to follow Sera's training plan.

She watched over the balcony as Sera stepped out of the doorway, only to glance up at her imperiously. Mana darted back into the library. She had scrolls to read and practise to do.

* * *

Yami groaned as he opened his eyes, only to attempt to push himself into an upright position and scramble away from the stranger leaning over him and almost slip back into unconsciousness when pain spiked up his arm.

"Don't move." The man, who was wearing a strange golden mask that kind of reminded Yami of the death masks of kings, warned him," You're badly wounded. You need to rest and regain your strength."

Since the man appeared to wish him no harm, as, if he'd wanted Yami dead, he could have easily killed him while he'd been unconscious, Yami took the time to examine his arm, wriggling his fingers in order to check that he could and nothing was broken. It hurt but he could do it.

As he took in the extent of his injuries the memories of what had happened returned to him, including the fact that Bakura had taken the Millennium Puzzle from him.

"Who… are you?" Yami asked cautiously, wary of this stranger and wondering how far away they were from the palace, since he wasn't sure he'd be able to reach it in his current condition.

The man just turned away and started walking out into the light that was slowly growing outside.

"Wait…" Yami pushed himself to his feet with his good arm and, bracing the other one with the same arm, tried to follow the man out, "I can walk."

The other man paused and half turned. Yami felt distinctly uncomfortable under the gaze of the mask. "I am the one who watches all memories." The man stated, "A great battle is about to begin."

With that the man simply vanished, in a manner that reminded Yami of Shadi's little vanishing act.

Pushing himself harder than he should, he managed to make it to the cave entrance before he needed to sit down again, exhaustion trying to claim him, only to find himself on the cliffs high above the city and his palace.

' _A great battle…'_ Yami thought as he sat down before he fell down, believing he should try and push himself to go further but well aware that he would do more damage to himself if he pushed himself too hard.

That and he could quite easily imagine the reaction of his friends if he pushed himself too hard and made his injuries worse on the way. Yugi would be disappointed, Hermione would lecture him and Joey would probably wait until he'd healed up and then punch him in the arm for being so stupid, not to mention Seto wouldn't let him live it down and there was no way he wanted to give the CEO a chance to gloat.

At least there was a greater chance of being found if he was out in the open and, if he rested a while, there was a chance he'd be able to make his way further down the cliffs a bit later.

The main questions that were worrying him were 'how long had he been unconscious?', 'what had Bakura gotten up to during his absence?' and 'what had happened to Yugi and the others?'.

* * *

Seto was confused.

Just before Zoma had struck and deducted the forty-five hundred attack points from his life points darkness had fallen across the land and, for a while, there had been nothing but total darkness. Not even sound got through the blackness that had surrounded him.

He had thought that it was because he'd lost and that this was the darkness that Bakura/Zorc had been talking about, but then, suddenly he'd gone from complete and utter darkness to the street that he and Bakura had battled in, at dawn, and the others, who had apparently gone through the same thing as him were just as confused as he was.

"Yuge, what…?" Joey asked, hoping his friend had some answers, now that he'd had a moment to think.

Yugi, who was frowning lightly and considering their surroundings, pursed his lips. He had a few ideas, none of which appealed. "I think something happened to Yami." Yugi stated, trying to speak calmly, but believing that, since this was the world of the Pharaoh's memories, that if something happened to Yami, then the world around them would vanish too. "But I think he must be ok… or at least alive…"

What Yugi wanted to do was go and find him, but he was fully aware of their assigned task. Yami would need his true name before the end and if Yami really had been injured so badly it had nearly counted as a loss then his name, the last key to his sealed memories and powers, was of vital importance.

Joey and Seto looked at each other, then Joey shrugged, "We don't speak Egyptian." Joey indicated himself and Hermione, "I know 'Mione reads it," Joey earned himself a glare for shortening Hermione's name even as she nodded, "But neither of us know the spoken language like you and Rich-Boy, so it might be a good idea to split into two groups."

Seto, who still didn't like admitting that he had any abilities linking back to his ancient persona after eight years, just snorted, "I'm taking Hermione then." He stated, giving Yugi little choice but to take Joey, not that Yugi minded.

"We can try and find Yami's name, while Seto and Mione find Yami." Joey continued laying out his plan, hoping that sending the others after Yami would reassure Yugi enough to continue searching for Yami's name. "Seto is hunting Bakura, after all. Woe betide anyone that gets in his way."

Yugi looked at the CEO, who still looked a little shaken from his close encounter with death, not that anyone but he or Yami would notice, Yami by reading Seto's aura and Yugi through his natural ability to read micro expressions, the thing that had put him on Yami's level of reading his opponents long before Yami had taught him how to read people's auras.

Seto just snorted at him. "I'm not letting Bakura get away with what he's done to my brother. I'll take him down next time."

"Seto…"

"Just get going, Yugi." Seto snorted at him, "We," He indicated himself and Hermione, "Can handle anything the Tomb Robber throws at us." Hermione nodded in agreement, nervously but with a small smile.

"Seto…" Yugi trailed off at the look on the CEO's face. "Good luck."

"Luck's for losers." Seto glanced at Joey, smirking as he did so. Joey glowered back, well aware Seto was making a reference to all the luck based cards in his deck. The normalness of the pair of them made Hermione roll her eyes and Yugi have to hide a laugh though, breaking the solemn mood that had been settling. Then the pairs split up, Seto and Hermione heading for the palace, and Yugi and Joey heading for the one place that Yugi could think that Yami's name might be hidden.

"So, where are we headed, Yuge?" Joey asked as Yugi tried to get his bearings, then seemed to make up his mind about something.

"The Valley of the Kings. Yami's tomb is the one place that's guaranteed to have his name somewhere."

"Yami's tomb?" Joey yelped. "But he's not dead!"

"No, but they build tombs for the Pharaohs long before they pass away." Yugi explained, wondering if, because they were outside the rules he could get away with something.

"So where is the Valley of the Kings?" Joey asked, a little freaked out by the concept of entering his friend's grave.

"On the other side of the river." Yugi stated.

"Then how are we…" Joey trailed off as Yugi took a huge leap into the air and didn't come back down. "How did you…?"

"We're outside the rules." Yugi grinned. "We can do whatever we like."

"That means we get to fly?" Joey asked. When Yugi nodded and Joey leapt into the air and hovered just as Yugi was, the blonde grinned. "We should be outside the rules more often."

Yugi, who was rather glad it had worked so he hadn't looked like a complete idiot in front of his best friend, just snorted, feeling rather uncomfortable being outside of the rules of a Shadow Game when it was 'The Rules' that had defined most of his life since he'd completed the Millennium Puzzle.

"Shall we go?" Joey asked, still enjoying the feeling of being off the ground without a broomstick or a dragon, even though he was currently floating upside down, though Yugi knew that would change once they got any distance from the ground.

Yugi just shot skyward to see if he could get a better look at the world around them.

Joey righted himself, then watched from below as Yugi got his bearings before darting off to the right. The blonde wizard followed his friend. This was probably both the best and worst ideas they had come up with yet, but this was the best way to find both Yami and his name.

He just hoped that Hermione and Kaiba would be ok.


	6. Seeking Kul Elna

Nen, who was waiting on the return of one of the groups he'd sent out frowned as the youngest High Priest and the archivist walked past. They kept glancing around as they did so and were avoiding the main paths, discussing something in an odd language and wearing odd clothes.

If they'd been wearing anything resembling normal clothes he could have let it slide. He knew everything that happened within the grounds - he couldn't after all provide security for the entire palace compound (and it wasn't exactly small) if he wasn't on top of what went on and where people were likely to be at any given point of the day, in fact he had had the Pharaoh's schedule committed to memory so he could increase the security in the area at need without it looking like he was doing so.

And, before Bakura had attacked the palace the first time, though the High Priest took his duties seriously, he was prone to holding lengthy conversations with the woman. She had gone through her training at the same time as him, and he was forever encouraging her to leave the library every so often even if it was only late at night when there were no demands on their time and no one around to watch.

However something about the supposedly normal scene bugged him and it wasn't just the odd language. It wasn't unusual for the pair to speak something other than Egyptian. The pair, as part of their training were at least quadrilingual if not more, and if they didn't want anyone to know what they were talking about they often used one of the less commonly known languages.

That was fine. Nen had no great urge to know all the secrets of the mage caste anyway.

The odd clothes confused him more. Neither of them looked like they were wearing anything that, even if Nen had seen the material before, looked suitable for the daytime heat of the desert. Both were wearing full leg coverings and, while Seth's white jacket could have passed for a robe from the right angle, Sera was wearing a much shorter tunic that was cut much closer to her body.

However it was only when the pair passed out of sight that Nen twigged on what had been bothering him.

That couldn't have been Sera. He'd seen Sera in the grounds and she was taller and older then that girl had been, even if she was an almost perfect match in everything else. A little sister perhaps?

Considering everything that had happened within the last couple of weeks, he would have followed them, just to make sure that everything was alright and nothing else was likely to explode (he felt sorry for those who had to clean up after that little light show in the courtyard this morning), except for the fact that as he went to follow them around the corner, one of the men he'd set to guarding the throne room rushed over to him, looking happier then he'd seen anyone from his squad since Bakura's first strike.

"Captain, I have good news."

"What?" He asked firmly, wanting to know what could be so urgent, and a little irritated that he was being delayed.

"It's the Pharaoh. Isis has found him. He's injured, but he's alive!"

* * *

"Are you sure about this, Yuge?" Joey asked nervously as they touched down in the Valley of the Kings, just out of sight of the guards who were pacing the area, on edge the entire time. Justifiably so considering what had happened here just a week ago.

Yugi glanced around the rock before answering. If he was honest no, he wasn't sure about this, but it was the only thing he could think of where finding Yami's name was dead certain. A Pharaoh's name was plastered everywhere in their tombs, hidden within the spells that would take them safely to the afterlife, and though in Yugi's timeline the Pharaoh had never made that final journey, here, in the world of memories, before Yami had sacrificed himself to seal away the Shadows, his tomb would have been being prepared for him in advance, just as every Pharaoh's was.

If anything he was more nervous about what he'd find inside. It was, after all, supposedly the greatest Shadow Game on Earth, or at least that was what his Grandfather had said a couple of years back, and it was highly likely that it would test even his luck at games.

That and technically Yugi was visiting his own tomb. That would have been enough to creep most people out.

"I'm sure, Joey." Yugi replied, answering the part of Joey's question that was about Yami's name and trying to ignore the rest of it, trying to work out some sort of pattern to the way the guards were moving and wondering if any of them had magic.

If not it would be easy to slip past them. The guards would, after all, be unable to see or hear them. If they did though, it would be a different matter. Yugi wasn't sure how much they could be affected by the magic within the game while outside the rules and he wasn't sure he wanted to test it considering that their magic could and had had an effect on the game world, suggesting that a mage could hurt them if they got into a battle.

That and he had the oddest feeling that they were being watched. He glanced around for what felt like the third or fourth time and let out a soft sigh when he didn't see anyone. If he was honest he didn't expect he would. The game master, Zorc, knew they were inside his game now and as such any NPC he controlled would be able to tell him what they were up to. It was why he wasn't happy about splitting up, but he would never have gotten Seto to come here while Bakura was on the loose and his friends had been right. This was the quickest way to get to both Yami's name and the Pharaoh himself.

"We could always stun them and dart past." Joey suggested, glancing around the corner and pulling his head back just in time to avoid being spotted. He looked at his friend, who was frowning slightly and let out a soft sigh. He knew Yugi far too well to think that attacking someone who was just doing their job was appealing to him. "It's a shame we don't have Harry's invisibility cloak. We could use it right now."

Yugi let out a soft, irritated, snort as he tried to think of some way of getting past the guards without attacking them, "Even if we'd had it with us at the museum, we wouldn't have it here. We are, after, here as souls, rather than our physical selves."

"What?" Joey asked, not quite sure that he'd heard that right.

Yugi gave his friend a bemused look, "You can't honestly have thought that your body had been dragged into the Puzzle."

"I hadn't thought about it properly." Joey grouched at him. "You're more used to this out of body experience thing then I am. I can't even summon my... what?" Joey asked as Yugi, who had been chuckling at his little complaint paused and grinned, "I just gave you an idea, didn't I?"

"Uh huh." Yugi nodded, calling on his deck and becoming amused when a Duel Disk appeared on his arm, wondering if he was, as Kaiba had, risking his life by interfacing with the game, and drew a card, becoming amused when it turned out to be Sunrise Magician. "Come forth." Yugi called, quietly enough to avoid being heard by the guards, but with enough power in his tone to make it obvious to Joey that he was summoning the monster, "Sunrise Magician."

The shadows swirled in front of Yugi for a moment, then the magician appeared, bowing to Yugi.

"Stand, please." Yugi told the Spellcaster/Effect monster, who stood upright and gave his Duellist a curious look. "I need your help." Yugi told it, "I need you to test if those guards can see you and, if they can, draw them away."

The Sunrise Magician nodded, vanishing for a moment and reappearing well in sight of the guards.

When no one reacted to the presence of the Duel Monster, Yugi dismissed his Duel Monster and the pair stepped out from behind their rock, making sure not to walk through any of the guards and darting into the only unsealed tomb.

Almost instantly it felt like there was something pressing on them and Joey glanced at Yugi, only to find that his friend had called on an orb of light and was quickly scanning the walls for information.

"We're in the right tomb." Yugi said finally, "But we're going to have to go further in if we want to find Yami's name."

"Lead the way, oh wise one." Joey gestured him forward, earning himself a bemused look where anyone else would have swatted him, "After all, I can't read the scribbles."

"There're not scribbles, Joey." Yugi half scolded him as they cautiously continued down the hall. "Each picture means something."

"So teach me."

* * *

"Pharaoh."

Yami's vision wavered as he reached the bottom of the narrow slope, only to turn the corner and find Shada and Kalim, along with a group of guards from the palace, on horseback. Relief coursed through the Pharaoh as he gave them a weary smile and waved, causing a cheer to erupt from the guards.

He'd thought that the Ka beast, a type of Fairy monster he was certain of it though the name escaped him, had belonged to one of the priests, so he wasn't surprised to see them there but it was a relief. He'd been more injured from the fall than he'd realised and walking down from the cave had pushed him to his limits. There was no way he would have made it back to town on his own.

Between his wounds and the fact that it was the middle of the day in the middle of the desert and Yami hadn't had anything to drink in far too long, blackness momentarily pervaded the Pharaoh's vision and when it cleared again he had been caught by someone, though he couldn't see who.

"I've got you." Those words, said by that voice, threw Yami for a moment before he realised that it was Nen who was demanding that someone brought some water over rather then Joey. The bladder that they brought over was half empty before Yami's vision finally stopped wavering and he felt steady enough on his feet to stand properly again, the cool, refreshing liquid quenching his thirst and helping with his dehydration.

"My Pharaoh, we should return to the palace." Kalim said, his concern obvious as Nen assisted Yami to his horse, "You need to rest and recover. We have healers on standby."

Yami didn't deny that this would have been a good thing, he was fully aware that he needed a healer, but he had to ask. "Has there been any news of Bakura?"

Kalim hesitated but Shada answered Yami's question. "Yes, my Pharaoh. He's retreated to his hideout in the ruins of Kul Elna."

"We're going after him." Yami told them, expecting an outburst from his priests.

And he got one.

"My Pharaoh, I must protest. You're badly injured. You're in no fit state to chase Bakura." Kalim protested loudly while gesticulating, though Yami was certain the latter wasn't deliberate. "Let us deal with him, or at least let the healers do their job before you go up against the Tomb Robber again."

"I can't do that Kalim." Yami shook his head then had to pause to try to dispel the dizziness that action caused, "He won't stop. If he finds out I've returned to the palace, he'll just come and kill more of my people. Well no more. This has to end."

Kalim scowled slightly but nodded, "I understand. I will inform Isis of your decision. The other priests will be able to meet us at Kul Elna." Kalim's voice may have been rather different from his friends, but it had the same 'you're being a stubborn idiot' tone that they had down pat, a side effect, Yami imagined, of being caught up in one too many incidents where he had pulled the same sort of 'stupidity' to quote Kari as he was pulling now.

"Nen." Yami turned to the Captain of the Palace Guard, surprised that he was even out here. Yami supposed that with so few trained men left within the troops after Bakura's last two attacks, everyone had to do more than their duty, something that, if he got the chance, he would reward, "I want to you go back to the palace with a few of your best men. If word spreads that I'm still alive, Bakura may go there first."

The blonde nodded, picking four of his men to go with him, leaving Yami with six. Before he left, Nen handed Yami his water bag. "Good luck." Nen nodded to him.

"You too. Stay safe." Yami clasped Nen's arm, "I expect to come back to find my palace in one piece."

Nen just nodded where Joey would have gotten that he was teasing and the Captain led his men back towards the palace. The Pharaoh just hoped he was doing the right thing. It was selfish but he was leading these people into danger and he didn't want Nen, who looked far too much like Joey for Yami's comfort, to be killed because of it.

The Pharaoh took another sip of the water, trying not to chug it though he was still thirsty, as he was aware it was quite possible to drown yourself if you drank too much too quickly, and then turned to Kalim and Shada, "Lead the way."

"Yes, my Pharaoh." Kalim nodded, looking irritated for just a moment. Then they were moving and there was little time for chatter.

* * *

"Trust you to find the Royal Library." Seto snorted at Hermione as the pair passed through another set of doors, only to find a room stacked high with scrolls and tablets.

The teenager ignored him, an idea hitting her as she looked over the hundreds of scrolls. It was highly likely that, somewhere in here, was a history of the royal family, which meant that Yami's name would be in here. She reached for a scroll and paused, rather surprised, when her hand actually landed on it, rather then went straight through it.

"We're not here to read, Granger." Seto snapped at her, wanting to get on with finding the Pharaoh, if only because wherever Yami was, Bakura was likely to be close by at some point soon.

"I know that," Hermione shot back, trying to ignore Seto's tone, knowing that most of his snappishness came from the fact that Mokuba's soul was still in the Shadow Realm and Seto's last attempt to win his freedom had nearly ended in the CEO's death, "But Yami's name could be here somewhere."

Seto paused. He was fully aware that, while his ultimate goal was to find and defeat Bakura, or rather the modern day version who had entered this Shadow Game, the primary objective of Yugi, Joey and Hermione was the discovery of Yami's true name, the only thing that would allow Yami access to the power he would need to destroy Zorc.

Without it, the Pharaoh would die when he fought Zorc and everyone who had followed Yugi into this world, willingly or not, would be lost in the Shadow Realm, doomed to wander the darkness until the Shadows tore their souls to shreds.

"Fine. You stay..."

"Seth? What're you doing..." Seto scowled momentarily, then hid the emotions away and turned to face the speaker who had trailed off, only to find himself shocked when he found himself face to face with an older version of Hermione who was staring at the real Hermione with obvious surprise. "Who is your friend?"

Seto glanced at Hermione, who was just as stunned at the sight of someone who looked like her within the palace, smirking slightly at her discomfiture. He didn't get to say anything though as someone's voice echoed down the row of books.

"Sera?"

The older Hermione looked around, concern obvious at the call, glancing back at them for a moment before darting towards the voice. The younger model followed and Seto kept up. Hermione knew that voice far too well and the tone was worrying.

As they turned the corner they spotted the speaker, a young teen, possibly a year or so younger than Hermione, with long brown hair in a creamy brown, more conservative version of the dress worn by the Dark Magician Girl, was giving the Ka beast she'd just summoned a rather surprised look.

The Dark Magician Girl in question just waved at them as they stopped dead in their tracks, wondering what the hell was going on.

"Well done Mana." The older Hermione, Sera, Seto assumed her name was, smiled at the younger girl, darting around the nearby table to go and look the Spellcaster over, "I did think you were almost ready." Sera considered the Duel Monster carefully, "I find myself unsurprised by clothes," She commented, noting almost instantly the way that the Duel Monster's armour matched the Ka beast that Mahado had become in several ways, "But I do wonder about those colours..."

"Mana?" Hermione asked Seto quietly, much more used to the Mana she knew, who was, in fact, the Duel Monster that was stood in front of them.

"Send her away, Mana. You don't want to overstrain yourself."

"But Sera..." Mana complained for a moment, though Hermione could see that the girl was looking a little tired, not unlike Yugi had when Yami had first started teaching him how to summon Duel Monsters, then she bowed to the Duel Monster who bowed back and vanished. The girl sat down rather heavily in a chair and took a sip of something from a wooden cup, before she spotted Hermione and Seto and shot to her feet.

"Lord Seth." She bowed to Seto, before looking at Sera, "I didn't know you had a little sister."

"I don't." Sera frowned, turning back to the pair of them. "Who are you?" She asked Hermione, "And, if I might ask, Seth, what is with your clothes."

"Get away from him, Sera." Seto's doppelganger swept into the library, Millennium Rod appearing in his hand. "That's not me."

"Seth?" Sera asked, looking confused as she looked from the Priest to his other who had pulled her younger doppelganger behind him and drawn a stick out of a pocket in his coat.

"I was told that someone looking like me had come this way. I thought it might be _you_." Seth growled, making 'you' sound rude, "Who are you? And what are you doing here?" Seth paused to glance around the room, "And where the other two? There were four of you in the streets."

"My name is Seto Kaiba." The CEO growled back, "And I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Don't play games with me." The High Priest snarled, not thrown in the slightest by being in an argument with someone who looked like him, he'd half expected, after seeing the doppelgangers when he'd picked up Kisara, that he'd see them again. "I saw the pair of you in the streets with a body double of both the Pharaoh and of the Captain of the Palace Guard. Where are they and what are you planning?"

"If I might speak without being threatened with the Millennium Rod," Hermione said, poking her head out from behind Seto's back, "I can answer you, High Priest."

"Hermione." Seto's tone was that of warning, with a touch of concern, amusing Sera slightly as she glanced at Seth.

She patted his hand as she stepped out from behind the CEO, "I'm Hermione Granger, I'm a Priestess who serves Prince Yugi, the young man who looks so much like the Pharaoh. We're from a foreign country far beyond your borders and we come to offer you our aid."

Seth scowled but lowered the Millennium Rod slightly. "Aid?" He demanded. "You've been here for days and this is the first time you've approached the palace."

"We've had our own problems with the Tomb Robber, Bakura." Hermione told the others, only to get glowered at by Seto. "He's threatened the lives of both our families and our Prince. In fact Seto has a personal debt to settle with him."

"That's enough, Granger." Seto snapped at Hermione, who just backed off slightly, head lowered.

"Why hasn't your Prince come forward?" Seto demanded of Seto, "And why do you walk like ghosts among the people?"

"We are oddly dressed strangers searching for one who blends in. Do you not think that Bakura would be warned of our presence if we walked among your people in plain view?" Hermione asked, earning herself a second glower from Seto. This time she took the hint and didn't give away any thing else.

"And your Prince?" Seth demanded again.

"Still searching for what we're looking for." Seto turned to Hermione, "It's obvious that none of the things we're looking for are here. We should leave." He grabbed her wrist and started towards the door.

"Hold, stranger." Seth stood in the way, thinking quickly. There were so few available in the palace to join the Pharaoh in Kul Elna and while he didn't completely trust these two, he could sense the power that they held, power that, while not as strong as the Millennium Items (he held no fear that he couldn't deal with the pair if they decided that they would turn on them after Bakura was dealt with) was powerful enough to be of some use, "I know where Bakura is and, if you will agree to assist the Pharaoh in battle, I will take you to him."

Seto considered the Priest for a moment. He trusted Seth as far as he could throw him, after all if he was in Seth's position, he would have trusted Seto about as much. However he had no idea where Bakura was and he had promised Yugi that he would find Yami.

If it had been anyone else he'd made the promise to, he would have discarded it. Maybe not carelessly like he once would have, but he would have done it all the same.

"Hermione," Seto said finally, turning to the teen. "You need to stay here."

"I can fight." Hermione shook her head, frustrated that he wanted to leave her behind. "You don't need to…"

"I know." Seto interrupted her, "But we both need to help Yami and you're better at finding information then I am." Hermione just blinked at him, wondering if Seto was feeling alright if he had just admitted a short coming, "You know the sort of thing to look for. I have no idea what Egyptian names look like…"

Hermione let out a soft sigh. And the fact Seto was putting himself into the game while she wouldn't be anywhere the battle had nothing to do with it she supposed. "Alright Seto, but come back safely. Mokuba won't forgive me if I let you go, only for you to get yourself killed."

Seto just nodded and looked at Seth. "I'm ready to leave when you are."

Seth nodded and looked at Sera. "There's a girl, her name's Kisara. I'm having her brought up to your room. I need you to look after her." Seto, who had already come to a conclusion he didn't like about Mana, having heard some of how a Duel Monster was normally created from Mokuba, who, in turn had learnt from Geki, balled his hands into fists at the sound of this new name as Sera nodded and promised to take care of her.

"Oh," Seth added, "You." He pointed at Mana, "You're coming with us."

"Lord Seth?" Sera's tone turned demanding as the older version of Hermione demanded to know what Seth thought he was playing at, bringing her pupil, who hadn't finished her training, into this.

"I need you to stay here." Seth told her in a no nonsense manner, "And Mana's ready enough to cast a few spells if we need them. She'd be more use if she could summon her Ka beast but…"

"I can." Mana interrupted him and then blinked, as if surprised she'd had the audacity to do so, having the grace to look embarrassed.

"She's just finished that part of her training, my Lord." Seth internally winced at Sera's tone. It promised that he would pay dearly if anything happened to the girl. It wasn't like he wanted to take Mana, but he had to, for the same reason he had to take Seto. He needed the fire power. "It takes a little while, but she can summon her Ka beast."

"Good." Seth nodded as a pair of guards came in, one of whom carrying an unconscious teenager with long white hair and he directed them towards Sera's rooms.

Once she was settled Seth, Seto and Mana left to help the Pharaoh and take down Bakura.

Sera, still weirded out by the young Priestess that looked so much like her, looked at Hermione. "Now, what is it you're looking for?"

* * *

The ruins of Kul Elna were far below them but even from here and without his Millennium Item Yami could still sense the evil that lurked there. The place practically reeked of pain and suffering, though it was obvious that no one except Bakura had lived there for many, many years.

"My Pharaoh." Kalim said as he cantered forward to join Yami at the head of the group. The Priest was concerned for the Living God. He too could sense the soul warping darkness of the place below them and, though he had seen the Pharaoh take down opponents over twice his size, with the injuries he had now Kalim wasn't certain that the Pharaoh would win this fight. "We should turn back or wait for the others."

"I'm not afraid of Bakura, Kalim." Yami replied, "Nor of the darkness down there. This has to end, here, today, or more innocent people will die and I won't allow that to happen. Not as long as I'm Pharaoh."

Kalim considered the young King. The Pharaoh had been considered young for the throne by most, Kalim among them, but he had proved all his doubters wrong. 'For the good of the people' that was the motto the Pharaoh lived by and he had always stuck to it.

The Priest had a horrible feeling that that same motto would be what got the Pharaoh killed.

"I know I'm asking a lot Kalim." Yami said, giving him a soft, amused, smile, "But I refuse to turn back now, when we're so close. So I guess my question is, will you follow me?"

"Of course, my Pharaoh." Kalim nodded.

"Then let's go."

With that they rode down the dune and into the ruins below.


	7. Seeking Destruction

The ruins made Yami uneasy.

Even without his Puzzle, the Shadows weaving throughout the area were all too easy to sense and with them came a presence of pain and fear that weighed heavily on the group as they rode through what Yami took at first to be dilapidated buildings, only to realise that some of the remains showed charring, as if an incredibly hot blaze had occurred within.

The villagers hadn't left. They had been driven out.

The Pharaoh wondered if it had been Bakura who had done the deed or whether there had been invaders who had been driven out of Egypt, but not until they'd already done some damage, and what had happened to the people who had once lived here.

It didn't help his nerves that he had a feeling that someone, or rather something, was watching them, stalking the group as they made their way through the ruined village, haunting them as they picked their way through the remaining stone work.

They split up as the terrain grew more difficult, so that Kalim and the men explored the more intact buildings, while Yami and Shada hung back. Not that Yami had wanted to, but when he'd tried to join the men on foot they had asked him not to, supposedly out of concern for his safety. The Pharaoh supposed that in his current state he would slow them down.

"My Pharaoh," Yami was drawn out of his thoughts by the return of Kalim, who offered Yami a hand to dismount, "There's no one up top, but we did discover a hidden stairwell. The men are exploring it now."

Yami nodded as he dismounted, cringing slightly as his right leg hit the ground. He followed Kalim and Shada towards the stairwell, only to dart forwards when he heard the cries of the men. One of the guards had just reached the bottom of the stairs when he reached it.

"P...Pharaoh! D...Don't come d...down here!" The guard called up, struggling to get his words out, as dark energy swirled around him, "It's a..." He didn't get to finish his sentence as a purple light erupted from his mouth, nose and eyes and he crumpled to the ground.

"Pharaoh!" Bakura's voice echoed up from the depths, sounding far too pleased with himself. "If you want your Pendant back you'll have to come down here!"

Yami's hands balled into fists as anger coursed through him and he darted down the stairs, only to find that the six men he'd brought with him had already been killed. "Bakura!" Yami snarled, glowering at the far, far too amused thief who was stood next to a huge stone tablet and wearing both the Ring and the Puzzle.

"Welcome, Pharaoh." Bakura smirked at him, well aware that he was holding all the cards, "It's about time you got here." He waved his hand as the same dark energy that had surrounded the guard swirled around Yami, giving the Pharaoh a taste of what his men had gone through as the spirits, for that was what the energy was, transferred a touch of their anger, their malice and their pain to the Pharaoh, tearing at his mind and soul as they rushed past.

Yami only just managed to avoid letting out a pained cry, desperate to avoid letting Bakura know how much it hurt, recognising it as the same sort of pain that Yugi had suffered before in the Shadow Realm and letting the memories of his hikari standing fast help now.

"Feel that, Pharaoh?" Bakura demanded, "Those are the spirits of those who dwelt here, in this village before your father's men came."

"W...What?" Yami gasped out as more spirits joined those swirling around him, tightening the vice around him, leaving Yami little time between the attacks.

"How did you think these were created, Pharaoh?" Bakura snarled, holding up the Puzzle as he did so, "Your father sent his men to my village and killed almost every single man, woman and child to create your precious 'Millennium Items'."

"My father... wouldn't..." Yami tried to get a firmer footing but his legs gave out under him and he went crashing to his hands and knees.

"Your father slaughtered my entire village! I was the only one left! And you, Pharaoh, you will pay for his crimes as the spirits take their revenge!"

A tidal wave of hatred and pain crashed over Yami, almost crushing the Pharaoh under its weight causing untold agony to course through his entire body.

Yami screamed.

* * *

When Hermione had told Sera that they were searching for the Pharaoh's name, the archivist had been dismissive and a little wary. After all, why would a group from a foreign country be searching for the Pharaoh's name unless it was to cause him harm?

That had been until she had realised that she, who been living in the palace before the Pharaoh had taken the throne and had spent time with Mahado while he had been on duty, guarding the young Prince, couldn't remember what his name was.

And that no one who had been around before he had risen to the throne knew it either.

Then she had been more willing to listen to the girl.

In a display that had shocked Sera, Hermione had summoned a Ka beast to her aid from a stack of thick papyrus like objects that the Priestess called 'cards' without the use of a Millennium Item. A Ka Beast that had, in fact, looked rather shockingly like her own and as Hermione had explained why they were really there, the Millennium Witch had, under Hermione's direction, gone to stand guard over the door into Sera's bedroom and protect Kisara.

From what the Priestess had said someone had tried to cast a similar spell on Prince Yugi to wipe him from the memory of the people in an attempt to over throw the current monarchy, but even if it had worked that way the spell had failed at the critical step. When the caster had been questioned they'd found out that the spell had previously been cast on the Pharaoh of Egypt.

At which point Prince Yugi had asked for permission from his Grandfather, to come to Egypt to try to correct this problem and since it had coincided with Seto's need to hunt down Bakura, King Solomon had agreed to let him come as long as he brought Seto with him.

When Sera had asked about the presence of the other two within the group, Hermione just chuckled and said that both she and Joseph, who was apparently a close friend and bodyguard of the Prince, had refused to be left behind.

Sera would have questioned this further, if she hadn't been so busy being absolutely furious that someone had dared to try to wipe the Pharaoh's name from living memory. Especially considering that, without his name, the Pharaoh would never reach the afterlife. She knew the spells that would help a person through the afterlife, she had read them many times and almost all of the incredibly important ones required that the person who was taking the journey knew their name.

And she'd continued to be just as mad when they'd gone through the scrolls that should have had the Pharaoh's name written on them, only to find that they too had a blank space where the Pharaoh's name should have been. It was like it had been wiped from existence.

Now Hermione was pacing, trying to think. She'd almost been certain that the Pharaoh's name would have been here somewhere and now she wasn't certain where to look.

It didn't help the nerves of the two lookalikes that the priests had left in the company of Seto, Mana and what little troops they had left a few hours ago, leaving the palace unguarded. Nor that Prince Yugi and Joseph had vanished before that and still hadn't turned up at the palace. Understandably Hermione was concerned that something might have happened to them.

"Stop and think for a moment." Sera told the Priestess, understanding her ire all too well, putting an understanding hand on her shoulder. "You won't be able to help anyone if you're worked up like this."

Hermione nodded, letting out a deep breath and allowing Sera to direct her to the balcony to get some fresh air, trying to sort everything that she'd found out in her head. For some strange reason she'd never considered the possibility that Yami had had siblings other than his little sister, yet alone that he'd had three older brothers and two younger siblings and that that was considered a 'small' family by the standard of Egyptian monarchs.

Not that it mattered now. Yami's brothers had gone to war and never come home, leaving little choice but to put a fourteen year old boy on the throne when his father had died. She, of course, knew that had happened to Yami's little sister. That had been one of the few memories the Pharaoh had managed to regain, but she hadn't known that his little brother, who had only been a year younger than him had been killed during the attack of a Sorcerer who had had the audacity to call himself Anubis. This of course being the same Sorcerer who had nearly killed Yugi and Yami five thousand years later when he'd tried to make his comeback.

She couldn't help wondering what would happen when Yami died. Without any siblings the throne should pass to his half siblings or cousins, but not only was Yami now an only child but no one knew what had happened to his only cousin either, which meant that there would have been a brawl over who had risen to the throne behind him when he had sacrificed his soul and his afterlife to save the world.

"...something we haven't thought of." Sera was saying when Hermione snapped back to the conversation, causing the Witch to berate herself for not listening. "There has to be something the spell missed."

Hermione tried to consider everything. She had thought that things like scrolls would have been immune to the problem, but then if it had been that easy to find, Yami would have found it by now and he wouldn't have needed them to enter the game.

The question was, if the scrolls in the library had been effected too, was there anywhere in the entire game world that was protected enough from magic to stop the spell that had erased Yami's name from history? Unless...

"You've had an idea?" Sera asked as Hermione stepped away from the railings and tried to think through everything she'd read on the Egyptian afterlife over the last few years.

"I think... has Ya... the Pharaoh's tomb been built yet?" She asked, correcting herself for the sixth or seventh time.

"Of course..." Sera paused as she got what the Priestess was thinking. The tombs were protected from all kinds of magic in order to protect the person whose body rested inside from the threat of ending up as a restless spirit doomed to wander Duat for all of eternity. If there was anywhere that would have been sheltered from the spell that appeared to have affected everyone in the palace, it would have been there.

Except... "The Pharaoh's tomb is heavily protected. No one is allowed in or out." Sera said, thinking things over, "Even if the Pharaoh's name is there, unless we can convince people that this is the complete truth, we would never been allowed to go in." She watched the Priestess's shoulders sink, "And even if we did get inside, the tomb is protected by the ultimate Shadow Game. Only those who can pass all three trials can reach the inner sanctum. We'd never manage it."

Hermione had to agree. She was alright at games, but this was the first Shadow Game she'd ever been in. She had no idea if she would be able to pick up the rules quickly enough to get through them safely.

She knew who would though. In fact she had a horrible feeling that she knew where the one person other than the Pharaoh himself who would be able to get through those games was right now.

"What's wrong, Hermione?" Sera asked, concerned when the younger version of her blanched slightly.

"Nothing. Nothing." Hermione tried to wave it off. "I'm just feeling..." Hermione trailed off as a purple light shot out of one of the obelisks in the courtyard below, and out into the desert in the direction that the Priests had gone. "What was that?"

"Someone is calling a Ka beast." Sera replied, quickly trying to work out whose tablet shrine that had been. Then she let out a relieved sigh. "That Pharaoh must have the Millennium Pendant back."

" _Pendant?"_ Hermione wondered for a moment, before Sera's words sank in properly. "Wait, that's good, right?"

Sera, who was well aware of the outcomes of the recent fights between the Pharaoh and the tomb robber, just didn't answer.

It was going to be close.

* * *

It took him a moment, as he'd never heard that tone from that voice before, but he knew that voice.

Even as the Priests turned towards the sound, Seto, who hadn't long arrived in the ruined village, darted for the stairs, towards the source of the screaming.

"Yes! Yes!" He could just about hear Bakura cackling over Yami's agonised screams, "Soon the pain will drive you insane!"

"Yami!" Seto reached the bottom of the steps, Seth just moments behind him, to find Yami on his hands and knees, crying out in pain, surrounded by a black aura which blazed like flames and danced around the Pharaoh.

A burst of purple light shot past the dopplegangers and settled around Yami, scaring off the black energy and allowing the Pharaoh to draw a breath that wasn't to be used up in screaming.

Seto moved between the shaking Pharaoh and the tomb robber, Seth just a little bit faster than him.

"Seth?" Yami asked, his voice horse. Seto cringed at how weak he sounded, how confused, how uncertain.

"I'm here, my Pharaoh." Seth told the Pharaoh as he summoned Duos.

"Get up Yami." Yami's head shot up at the sound of his name, only for his confusion to grow when he saw two Seths. Except that one wasn't Seth. One was...

"Seto?" Yami asked weakly, his voice strained from screaming.

The CEO didn't have a chance to reply as the ghosts launched an attack on the pair of lookalikes, throwing them into combat they weren't prepared for.

_My Pharaoh._

Yami, whose head had sunk again in sheer exhaustion, whimpered slightly at the voice. He knew it. He knew it well but it was just one more confirmation of something he hadn't even wanted to consider. _'Is it true, Mahado? Is what Bakura said...'_

 _My Pharaoh, believe me when I say your father didn't know how the Millennium Items were created._ Just hearing that from Mahado relaxed the Pharaoh. He knew the Dark Magician, he knew him far too well, and he knew that he wouldn't lie to him. Still...

' _But...'_

 _I knew the truth of the Millennium Items from the moment I put on the Millennium Ring._ Mahado admitted, _And I confronted your father._ Yami sensed grief and guilt from his guardian as the purple light surrounding him slowly drained into a ball and then formed into the Dark Magician, who stood between him and the pair of Setos. _My Pharaoh, I'm sorry. When I confronted your father, he was struck with the same pain that haunts you now. It was because of that pain that he grew sick and died. If I hadn't told him..._

In a flash, Yami remembered that sickness, the disease that that had hit his father so quickly that they had thought for a while that someone had managed to poison him. No one had ever considered that the Pharaoh had been suffering from a soul rending wound caused by someone telling him the truth...

_It was Akhenaden, your uncle, who created the Millennium Items. If your father had known what it was that would create them, he would never have allowed it._

Yami nodded, struggling to his feet, accepting a hand from his partner monster. _'Mahado, I...'_

 _I am your servant, my Pharaoh. From now until eternity._ The Dark Magician scowled at Bakura, whose Ka beast was a little busy trying to take out both Duos and Kaiser Seahorse. _You must fight. Bakura cannot be allowed to complete his plans._

' _But...'_ Yami glanced at his diadum. The Ba meter on it had slipped even further when Bakura's spirits had attacked, taking him below a quarter of a bar.

_You have the strength and you will not need to summon anyone else. I will fight for you as long as I am able._

Seto snarled something rather rude as his Kaiser Seahorse was blown away and his life points dropped by about a grand. When Diabound went to take advantage of this fact, Mahado and Yami were ready, backing Seto up and blasting the demon Ka back.

"Bakura," Yami still had trouble forcing the words out, but he placed himself firmly in front of the twin Setos, backed up by his most trusted monster, "I don't know what you're planning but I cannot let you win. Mahado!"

The Dark Magician loosed a Dark Magic Attack that struck Diabound and caused it and Bakura to let out a bellow of pain as the serpent like Ka beast crashed into one of the support pillars, taking it down and causing the ceiling to crumble, letting the light shine through.

"Diabound!" Bakura's snarl startled those fighting him until they saw the Diabound had caught the falling pillar before it could land on the huge stone tablet that Bakura had been stood by, tossing it aside carefully before disappearing into the remaining darkness.

"Seto, Seth..."

"I saw." Both Priest and CEO said in the same moment, glowering at each other for a moment, before Seto summoned one of his newest creatures, a card Yami had never seen before.

"Come forth, Lady of the White Dragon." Seto summoned the creature, a tall, willowy woman with long white hair and blue eyes, who appeared out of nowhere, glowing brightly, casting a protective light around herself, her Duelist and anyone nearby him.

That turned out to be a mistake though, while she protected Seto, Seth and Yami from attack, since Diabound couldn't travel through her light without being spotted, Diabound went after the Priests in the group behind, striking out at them directly and catching Shada off guard.

The bald priest hit the wall hard and crumpled into a heap at the bottom of it, the Millennium Key going skidding across the floor.

"Mahado!" Yami, having an idea, pointed towards the ceiling. His friend got it, blasting holes in the ceiling that revealed where Diabound was hiding in the darkness, which would have worked great if the stupidly large Ka beast hadn't just disappeared into the stone surrounding them, like the Wall Shadow whose powers it had absorbed back when Bakura had first attacked.

Yami scanned the area, trying to work out their best tactic only to come to a decision he knew no one would like. _'Mahado?'_ He asked the Dark Magician, who glowered at him, disliking Yami's plan immensely.

Someone had to do it though and, when the Setos weren't looking, Yami darted out of the protective light and, while Bakura was distracted by the others, darted towards a nearby pillar. Diabound, of course, couldn't resist the chance to attack Yami, taking a swipe at the Pharaoh, who dodged out of the way and was pulled back into the light by a rather angry looking Seto, who only didn't rant because Diabound had to catch the pillar that it had chopped down and had nowhere to throw it, meaning that it could no longer ghost through the walls and floor.

"Now we've got you!" The Ka beasts of the Priests attacked, striking Diabound, who bellowed back at them before building up an attack that Yami recognised all too well.

"Call them back!" Yami yelped, wishing he had his deck on his as Seto did, before knocking Seto down as Diabound let loose with a Thunder Force attack.

"Is everyone alright?" Yami asked as he blinked away the flash blindness, the dust that had been created when the roof collapsed in the attack causing him to cough heavily.

Seto shoved him off, coughing as he did so. "Thanks."

Yami would have asked if the CEO was feeling alright, except the Priests were beginning to answer him. Seth, Akhenaden and Isis spoke up, causing concern to course through Yami as Kalim didn't answer.

"Kalim?" The Pharaoh demanded, getting to his feet and looking around, only for and odd combination of fury and grief to course through him when he saw his priest motionless on the floor.

"Kalim!" Isis darted over to her fallen comrade as Yami and Seto wheeled on the tomb robber who looked far too impressed with himself.

Right up until Seto, who had only not done so before because there hadn't been enough room, summoned Kisara, his partner monster, to his aid. Diabound, who had used his own body as a shield to protect both Bakura and the tablet, shook himself off, the rubble falling off of his back and bellowed at the huge white dragon, who roared back.

Seth watched in shock as 'Kisara' blasted Diabound, who retreated into the floor to avoid her White Lightening Attack.

"Damn it, Pharaoh." Seto snarled, startling the High Priest out of his shock, "If you had your deck..."

"I know." The Pharaoh snarled back, surprising the High Priest, as he'd never seen the Pharaoh allow anyone to talk to him like that, yet alone retort in that manner, "Watch out..."

Yami didn't get to finish his statement as Diabound leapt out of the floor and struck at the pair of them. Seto shoved him aside and, even as his dragon blasted the serpent like creature, the blow struck, sending Seto crashing into the rubble.

Diabound let out a bellow that was an odd combination of victory and pain and then shattered into about a million tiny pieces.

The thief King, Bakura, coughed up blood and collapsed to his knees as the white dragon disappeared and Yami darted to his friend's side.

"N...No..." Bakura whimpered, panicked as he realised that it was over and that he, the last living member of the village of Kul Elna, was dying, "No... It can't end like this."

Even as relief coursed through the Pharaoh at the sight of the CEO's chest rising and falling, the desperate thief put the Ring and the Puzzle into their respective grooves in the tablet before collapsing over it.

"Kalim! Shada!" Yami and Seth turned to look at the fallen priests, only to watch in shock as the pair turned into sand and faded away.

"What?" Yami gasped, looking to the fallen thief who was going much the same way.

"Seth, go and..." Yami paused when Seth didn't even respond to him calling his name and attempted to get to his feet, only to find that he was frozen at Seto's side.

In fact all of his priests, including Mahado, who had narrowly escaped the Lightening Strike loosed by Diabound and slipped to his side when Seto had summoned his dragon, were frozen in time, unable to act or talk... all except...

"Akhenaden?" Yami demanded, unsure how he was able to talk when none of the others were and confused by the fact that the eldest of the priests, his own uncle, had taken the remaining Millennium Items from the priests and was putting them into the tablet, filling the remaining slots.

Then it hit him. The memories that had been knocked out of his head by the fall, of that brief moment when Yugi had been at his side and they had defeated Diabound together. Of Hermione's words... "There's your Game Master, Joey."

This was a Shadow Game, he had already worked that out, but suddenly he was aware of all the rules. This was a variant of the Monster World RPG that Bakura had put them through years and years ago, based on his memories of events that had happened over five thousand years ago...

And Akhenaden was no longer his piece to move.


	8. Seeking Trouble

As if the realisation that Akhenaden wasn't on his side was the trigger, Yami blinked. When he opened his eyes, he found himself half sprawled on a table.

The Pharaoh blinked in confusion as he pushed himself into a sitting position, considering his surroundings. He was sat in a golden chair next to a huge, golden table that had a diorama of a section the ancient lands that he had once ruled over, which included the palace, the city, the cliffs where he had fallen, Kul Elna and on the other side of the river, the Valley of the Kings.

Above the huge golden table, from a hook that was invisible among the Shadows that swirled around the room, hung the Millennium Puzzle, which cast a light over the entire table, as if projecting what was going on onto the table below.

Of course even that didn't hold his attention very long. Across the table from him sat a rather smug looking Bakura. "It's about time, Pharaoh. I was beginning to think you'd never get it."

"What have you done, Bakura?" Yami demanded, trying not to look at the mummy in the sarcophagus that was chained into place so that the mummy appeared to be looking straight at him.

"Haven't you figured it out by now, Pharaoh?" Bakura smirked, "This is the ultimate Shadow Game, our final show down... Though I must admit, I never expected your friends to join in." Bakura snorted and gestured behind Yami, "I mean, just look."

It was only meant to be a glance, but when Yami looked behind him he froze, fear crossing his features. "Yugi... Joey... Hermione... Seto..."

On the floor behind him led four sarcophagi, inside which led the bodies of the friends who had accompanied him to the museum, plus Kaiba. For one horrible moment Yami thought that they were... then he saw that their chests were rising and falling, bringing some relief to the Pharaoh.

"You can get down and check them if you like, Pharaoh." Bakura snorted, "But they won't wake. Their souls are trapped within the game, you've seen that for yourself, but unlike you and me, they're outside the rules. When this game ends, they will die."

"What?" Yami demanded, turning to scowl at the thief.

"The world you were in, that a version of you is still in is made up of both the memories you've lost and those of the mummy behind me. High Priest Akhenaden was the original, and as far as I'm aware only holder of the Millennium Eye before Pegasus." Bakura explained, gesturing to the mummy. Yami blanched slightly at the thought that Bakura had desecrated yet another corpse. "And your friends are trying to find your name. In fact as we speak your 'hikari' is threading your tomb, trying to reach the inner chamber where your name is hidden."

Yami's head turned towards the Valley of the Kings, concern coursing through him as he thought about the sorts of traps that a tomb could hold. His Grandfather had certainly told them enough horror stories to feed his imagination.

' _Not that little Yugi is aware I've sent a spy in,'_ Bakura thought, enjoying seeing the discomfiture and fear cross the Pharaoh's face, _'And that my spy has already reached the Pharaoh's name. I can't destroy the tablet with it on, but I can stop the Pharaoh's other self from getting that far.'_

"Of course you can save them." Bakura continued, before Yami could gather his thoughts enough to ask any questions, "Or you could have done, if you'd managed to defeat my pawns before now. Now it's too late. I may have lost my Thief King Bakura, but with the help of my second hourglass and the Akhenaden piece I stole out from under your nose earlier, I'm going to win and you and your friends will vanish into darkness!"

Yami looked across the table, to find that one of the hourglasses that represented Bakura's special abilities had drained completely, its sand all heaped at the bottom, another was sat on its side, though the sand was still travelling through it, while another looked like the sand should have been draining to the bottom but wasn't. He assumed that the one of its side was the one that was currently stopping time.

That was fine. But with the full knowledge of the rules, came the knowledge of a little fact that Bakura had tried to avoid telling him. Bakura wasn't the only one who could do more than react. Yami had his own ability he could use three times, 'Royal Decree', which allowed him to get his pieces to act at any time, and he hadn't used it yet.

"I'm activating Royal Decree." Yami told the Game Master, unconvinced that this was the Bakura who had been causing trouble for him since Yugi had completed the Puzzle any more than the Bakura that Seto had killed was, "Allowing my priests to move to stop Akhenaden."

Bakura just tutted at him. "A nice try, but if you wanted to stop my hourglass, you should have done so when I first activated it. As it is, I doubt Seth would move against him anyway. Akhenaden is, after all his father."

That threw Yami. Seth was his cousin? The next in line to the throne? How hadn't he known that?

"As it is, all you and your priests can do is watch as Akhenaden returns the Millennium Items to their place of birth and watch as Zorc rises."

Yami had this really odd sensation of being in two places at once as the piece that represented him, still frozen in place, watched as Akhenaden put the Millennium Items back into the tablet and darkness sprung forth, coalescing into a huge shape that blotted out the sun.

Not only that but, where the bright Egyptian afternoon sun had been just moments ago, the far too recognisable black and dark purples of the Shadow Realm covered the sky. Yami felt the pressure on 'the Pharaoh's' mind and soul the moment it appeared, adding to the strain that he was already under from playing the Game as the 'Player'.

The consequences of being in two places at once.

Yami was just glad, as the darkness turned into a huge, silver horned demon that had a dragon head and neck emerging from just below his stomach that everything that was going on, was within the memory world.

There was no way he wanted his friends in the situation that they were in, just the thought that, once again, Yugi's life depended on him was enough to have him even more intently focused on the situation than before, however, the thought that, in the outside world the Shadows hadn't yet had a chance to take over was reassuring.

Now he just had to find a way around Zorc and save both the memory world and his friends, because if he lost here, the entire world would be in danger.

* * *

Yami was mistaken.

When Zorc had been summoned within the memory world, the Shadows hadn't just swarmed the sky in the game.

Across the entire globe the Shadows coated the sky, blocking out any sunlight and bathing the world in an eerie glow.

Mai swore. She knew the darkness that now surrounded them far too well. Harry's Gold Winged Wolf let out an angry howl in the same moment.

"What is going on?" Sirius demanded.

"The Shadows." Harry answered, recognising the pain and dizziness that was haunting him far too well and concerned for the health of those around him, sending gratefulness down the link to Wolf as the Duel Monster helped Harry keep his mind clear, even as Harry felt a heavy drain on his magic. "I thought they couldn't come unless they were called by a Millennium Item though..."

' _The seal's broken.'_ Wolf informed the four of them, snapping at a tendril of Shadows that attempted to pass him. ' _The Shadows are free.'_ Wolf looked at Harry, ' _I'm sorry, cub.'_

Those last three words froze Harry in place. He knew about the seal of course. Isuzu had explained to Yami a long time ago that he had given his own life to seal away the Shadows and that the cost had been his name and his memories. When Yugi had told Harry about the Millennium Items, it had been one of the first things he'd said.

If the seal was broken it could mean one of two things. Either Yami was dead and the world would now fall into darkness, which, Harry assumed, meant that the Shadows would rule the Earth until someone managed to seal them again, or Yami had managed to regain his name and memories, bringing the Shadows back under his control, and was just testing his limits.

Harry very much doubted that even with his name and memories back Yami would even attempt to pull a stunt like this. Never mind that the Shadows felt too wild to be under the command of the Pharaoh, who had always seemed rather tight and controlled except when it came to matters of his hikari.

Which meant that Yami was dead.

And if Yami was dead, so were...

Harry wavered on his feet as the full implications of the situation hit him, only to be surprised when Dudley of all people offered him some support. "Careful, Pot...Harry." Dudley corrected himself, having made a real effort over the last month or so to try and change what he thought of magic and magic users, especially considering that his 'freak cousin' and his weird Godfather were the only ones that had been willing to take him in after his parents had been...

"Protego Totalum!" Sirius snapped, casting the shield spell around them, only for the bubble to fall almost as quickly as it went up, the darkness eroding it. "What?"

"The Shadows can negate wand magic." Harry told him, his voice a complete monotone as he tried to fight past the grief that threatened to overwhelm him, glancing at Mai, who had already known that they had magic, and was looking rather pale, "We've..."

' _CUB!'_ Wolf interrupted, pouncing at his partner, dragging him down as something leapt out of the Shadows at him, causing it to pass over Harry and crash into the ground. The black sludge like creature didn't give Wolf a chance to react a second time, launching at Mai, its claws reaching for the blonde...

Only to be interrupted mid leap by a screech and a set of talons which raked its body and caused it to vanish completely.

And suddenly it was Mai who needed the support as she saw who and what had saved her. "H...Harpie Lady 1?"

"My name is Airo." The Harpie Lady informed them, nodding to Wolf, who merely nodded back, watching her Duellist with a touch of concern. She didn't get a chance to ask if Mai was alright though as screaming broke out amongst the crowd as more of the shadowy creatures swarmed out of the darkness.

"We need to get somewhere safe." Sirius growled, looking around and trying to think, supporting Mai, who suddenly seemed exhausted, wondering if he could apparate them to safety.

' _There is no where safe.'_ Wolf snapped at him, frustrated, unsure he could protect his Cub and his family, glad for the arrival of Airo, but well aware that they would need much more help if they were going to keep the whole group safe but knowing that neither his Cub or the Harpie Duellist had the mental or magical strength to hold more than one average level monster in the Shadows at any time and even that was a strain.

No, that wasn't fair. He couldn't speak for Airo's partner, but his Cub only lacked the training required to summon multiple monsters, or some of the more powerful creatures in his deck, just as Yugi, the Heir to the Throne of Shadows and the Light Pharaoh, had once done.

Not that it really mattered. The Shadows were free, the humans were doomed...

Wolf shook himself. It had always been a possibility, that the Pharaoh would be killed and the Shadows would break free, leaving the Shadow Demon created by the pain and suffering of the souls of Kul Elna free to destroy the every last human on the planet as revenge, but no one had really thought it would happen, not with the sort of power demonstrated by the Pharaoh and his heir.

However, it had and all they could do was stand against the darkness as long as they could...

* * *

"That was close." Joey panted as he slipped through the door from the first trial.

Yugi couldn't agree more. Though he disliked the fact that it had taken them so long to get through the first task, considering that their options were victory or death, there hadn't been much of a choice but to take it slowly, edging their way forward, left foot in front of them, the side of your body where the heart was facing forward, as one would stand before the Pharaoh, across a narrow stone walkway that had been built like a maze.

And it had to be left foot forward, because if you accidently put your right foot forward first the statues that guarded certain crossroads on the stone maze came to life and attempted to run you through with their sword or knock you off of the stone path and into the incredibly deep pit below that, if Yugi was right (and he really hoped he wasn't because they had to go back that way) had spikes at the bottom that were just waiting to 'catch' someone that fell off.

He wasn't certain that time was travelling the same speed here anyway, it only felt like it had been an hour, maybe half that, but time had moved differently outside the tomb, like it had been moving at a faster pace than they were. But then the Shadows had always messed with people's perception of time, a few minutes in the real world could feel like several hours within an Shadow Game and he had no way of knowing if the way time flowed here was different.

"Come on." Yugi said, wanting to get through this as quickly as possible, concerned that, if he was right and time was flowing differently, that by the time they found Yami's name, it would be too late for it to make a difference.

Joey followed Yugi down the corridor, watching their back as he went, not that he expected anyone to be following them, but still wary considering that the Tomb Robber had proved , over their years at Hogwarts, adept at being able to hide in plain sight and cause trouble.

It turned out that he didn't need to watch their backs. As they entered the next room, they found Bakura, wearing a Duel Disk just waiting for them.

"It's about time you got here, little Yugi." Bakura snorted, amused as Joey pulled Yugi behind him and conjured his own Duel Disk, drawing a card and only not summoning the creature on it because a serpent like creature appeared out of nowhere, sent him crashing into a wall.

Joey collapsed in a heap at the bottom of it, stunned by the impact, as the creature wrapped the end of its tail around Yugi's throat and lifted the hikari off of the ground by his neck.

Yugi choked as he hung in mid air, fear striking him as he attempted to pull the tail away from his neck and get some air into his lungs. It was no use though, the creature's tail was wrapped so tightly around his throat that he couldn't get his fingers underneath it.

When it became obvious that that wasn't going to work, Yugi drew his wand, pointing it at the creature and trying to focus. "Stu... pi..." Yugi's eyes bulged as the tail tightened to the point where he couldn't even croak anything out and a burst of pain so intense that it caused Yugi to see an incredibly bright light and attempt to cry out in agony coursed through him.

Yugi's hands fell limply to his sides, his wand falling and clattering against the stone floor as his body became completely unresponsive, refusing to listen to the weakening pleas of his mind.

"Stupify!"

Suddenly Yugi hit the floor as Joey's spell knocked the creature out and sent it sprawling onto the stone tablets that made up the bridge that Bakura was stood on. Yugi started coughing as he tried to draw in more breath then his throat, which was incredibly sore, could manage, picking up his wand as he did so and pointing it in the direction of the tomb robber.

"So I assume you're outside the rules too." Joey commented as Yugi tried to gather his wits, still trying coughing badly and slightly stunned that Bakura's creature could injure them considering that they were outside the rules and weren't here in physical form.

However Yugi was well aware that someone's spirit form, such as the ones he and his friends had currently taken, could be injured in much the same way as their body if someone used the right spells and attacks, having suffered from such assaults many times over the last nine years, and the fact that Bakura's creature could cause soul rending wounds that could tear apart someone's spirit if it got its claws into them wasn't lost on the heir.

"I always knew you were an idiot, Wheeler." Bakura snarled at him, furious at Joey's interruption, as he picked himself up, having been knocked over when Diabound had hit the floor, "I'm the Game Master. I'm not outside the rules. I am the rules and if you want to get to the Pharaoh's name, you'll have to get past me."

"You're o..."

"No," Yugi croaked, pushing past Joey and stepping onto the stone walkway, noting the monsters engraved on it, activating his Duel Disk as he did so, noting the lack of projectors coming out of it. This would be a fight of souls and magic then, rather than a holographic duel, and he found himself unsurprised, "I'll fight you."

"You up to it, Yuge?" Joey asked, concerned for his friend as the serpent like creature vanished from the walkway.

"I'm fine." Yugi promised him, smiling slightly at Joey before turning all of his attention back to Bakura. "Alright, Bakura," He forced out, wincing slightly as he did so, silently berating himself for letting his guard down, "I'm ready... when you are."

"I'm feeling nice, so I'll let you go first." Bakura drew his first hand and gestured for Yugi to do the same.

Yugi drew his opening hand, considered the cards in it, then nodded and drew another card.

"I set two cards face down..." Yugi coughed as his voice caught in his throat, "And set one card in defence mode," He continued once he'd stopped coughing, trying to ignore the low throbbing ache in his neck that promised bruising and lots of it, "It's your move Bakura."

Bakura smirked, amused at the way Yugi still attempted to be defiant, even though Bakura could see the fear that still haunted him. Yugi wasn't his dark side. His game face was good, but not impenetrable.

Bakura drew.

* * *

"Time will start flowing again soon, my Pharaoh."

The words echoed around Seto's aching head as the CEO attempted to pull himself together, opening his eyes and sitting up, only to find flames racing past him, directed away from him and Yami by a huge man in an odd golden mask.

"Seto? You're awake?" Yami asked, relief crossing his features for a moment before his eyes widened, "You can move?"

"Can't you?" Seto looked surprised.

"You'll be able to soon." The golden masked man told the Pharaoh, "But you must be ready."

"How can I defeat him? How do I save my people?" Yami asked. Seto winced at the desperation in his tone. Seto knew how Yami had saved Egypt the last time and that was what Yugi and the others had entered the game to change...

"Don't give up hope. You can win. You just need to hold out until your other self arrives. He will bring you the key to victory."

When the flames stopped, the masked man vanished and with his disappearance everything started moving again. Mahado darted towards Yami's side as Zorc let loose with a fresh blast of flames.

"Mahado!" Yami yelped, scrambling to his feet, not wanting to lose his friend again.

"Negate Attack!" The flames just cut out at Kaiba's bellow.

Yami looked around urgently for his friend, only to find that the Dark Magician was being guarded by his significant other, the Dark Magician Girl.

Yami glanced around as Zorc seemed to lose interest in attacking them, for now at least. Akhenaden was missing, Mahado was conversing with the Dark Magician Girl, and by extension Mana, who gave him a smile when she spotted him looking her way, Isis and Seth were trying to work out where their Millennium Items had gone and Seto looked around for Bakura, only to find he was gone.

"What happened to...?" Seto started to ask.

"He's dead. When Kisara destroyed Diabound, she took Bakura out with him." Yami answered, offering the CEO a hand to his feet before checking if the Millennium Items were still there, scooping out the Necklace and the Rod and handing them to their respective owners before putting the Puzzle on. "Where are Yugi and the others?"

"Is now really the time?" Seto asked, glowering up at the Demon, his headache not helping his mood.

"Akhenaden might be going after them." Yami growled, nodding to Mahado and glowering up at Zorc who was starting to move away, not considering them a threat for some reason. Yami figured there was something else out there that was more important than them, at least for the time being. "Seto, Seth, Isis, go back and evacuate the city." He ordered the group as they scrambled out of the rubble, heading for the horses that Mana was guarding, calling the girl, who had sent away her Ka beast again, "I'll deal with Zorc."

"My Pharaoh... I must protest." Seth shook his head.

"Someone has to go and get the people to safety. I can buy you that time." Yami told them, "If I call the God monsters..."

"Don't even think about it, Yami." Seto snapped at him, beating everyone else to it, grabbing Yami's arm and showing him the Ba meter on his diadum, "You don't have the Ba to run the risk."

"Let him go." Seth snarled, pulling Seto's hand off of the Pharaoh's arm, confused as to why the Pharaoh was letting himself be manhandled like this.

"It's alright, Seth." Yami put a reassuring hand on Seth's shoulder, "He's just concerned for my safety."

"My Pharaoh..." Seth didn't trust the foreigner who had control over a white dragon like the one that rested in the soul of the girl that Sera was looking after, a white dragon with the same name as the girl...

"If I might intervene," Isis spoke up, "My Pharaoh, I have something to offer."

"What is it, Isis?" Yami asked, frustrated with the fighting, they didn't have time for this.

"I agree with you that someone should go back to the city and warn them and since you are the only one that can summon the Gods, it has to be you that holds off Zorc, however I would like to do something before I go and take Mana back with me."

With that, she took a leaf out of Seto's book and grasped the Pharaoh's hand, blushing at the impertinence for a moment before nearly collapsing as her Ba meter dropped by half and Yami forced her to let go as his rose to around three quarters full.

"Forgive me, my Pharaoh." Isis said as Seth supported her. It took her a moment to get steady again.

"Thank you Isis." Yami nodded at his priestess, unsure whether he'd see her again. "Travel safely."

"I wish you luck, my Pharaoh." Isis nodded as she and Mana mounted.

"Seth, please go with them." Yami turned to his High Priest.

"My Pharaoh?" Seth demanded, well aware that would leave the Pharaoh with only the foreigner for company.

"I'm concerned about Isis's safety. She just transferred a large portion of her Ba to me and if Zorc's minion is in the palace as I fear..."

"I understand but..."

"I need you to trust me, Seth. Once you've been to the palace and made sure people have evacuated safely, feel free to join me in the field, but I need you to do this for me. Consider it an order."

Seth glowered at Seto then joined the two on horseback. The three of them rode off, heading for town, hopefully fast enough to beat Zorc to the city.

"You're insane, you know that right?" Seto asked Yami, who was mounting up himself.

"How did you get here? And where are Yugi and the others?" Yami asked, not replying to his question, fully aware that what he was about to attempt was likely to get him killed unless Yugi reached him in time but he couldn't see any other way.

"Yugi and Joey went to find your name," Seto informed the Pharaoh, "And Hermione was looking after..." Kaiba snarled and wheeled around to look at Yami. "We need to go back to the palace."

"Why?"

"Because Hermione is helping her ancient counterpart look after a woman called Kisara."

"Hermione has a..." Yami trailed off, "A woman named Kisara?"

"Yes, a white haired woman named Kisara who your High Priest Seth seemed rather attached to."

Suddenly Yami knew what Akhenaden had gone to do. He wasn't after Yugi and his friends, after all Akhenaden was a piece inside the game. He may have been the GM's piece now, but he was still a piece in a story and Yugi and his friends weren't inside the story.

Kisara was though and Akhenaden had just seen how powerful a white dragon of her breed could be, not knowing that it was the same dragon (and how that worked, Yami had no idea).

If Akhenaden wanted more power to go with what Zorc had given him, he would have gone after a source he knew was readily available, which meant that Kisara and anyone guarding her was in danger.

Zorc was heading in that direction anyway and Hermione needed to be warned.

"We're going back to the palace."


	9. Seeking the End

**Half an hour before...**

Draco shuffled in place, feeling almost naked in the Muggle clothes that Golden had insisted he wear.

Golden looked up from her perusal of hats, none of which had a point, nor a peak, and many seemed to be made of dried grass or something.

"Draco." She hesitated, which made the teenage boy look up. Her eyes were not on him, but some distant point only she could see. Suddenly she turned to him. "Something is about to go very bad indeed."

Draco snorted. "So the great Seer can't see everything then? You sound like that fake Twit-yawn."

She tilted her head, and narrowed her eyes at him, but let the insult slide.

"What were Bakura's orders?"

Draco paled and clammed up.

"Come. We must fetch Ryou."

* * *

"You've killed all of them," Bakura commented as he set two cards face down and summoned his Disgraced Mage in attack mode, sounding for the world like he was commenting on the weather, "Everyone who followed you, you realise that?"

"What?" Yugi croaked, glancing at Joey before turning his attention back to the duel, trying not to let Bakura's words get to him, even as concern trickled through his mind.

"You're outside the rules and have no guaranteed path back to your bodies. Even if the Pharaoh wins, which he won't, if you lot are still here when the game ends, you'll be lost to the Shadows. Unable to return to the real world." Bakura told him, "Not that you'll be around that long."

"I'm not afraid of you Bakura." Yugi's confidence was shaken though, at the thought that his friends had followed him to their deaths even if he managed to help Yami, and it showed.

"Really? Then why are you on the defensive already?" Bakura asked. "Disgraced Mage!"

The Zombie monster attempted to blast Yugi's face down card, only for the attack to bounce off and Bakura's life points to drop by 1000 as a cute looking pink blob appeared on the field, wobbling like it was made out of jelly and smiling happily.

"Marshmallon." Yugi explained, amused at Joey's whoop. It wasn't the first time he'd pulled that stunt to stop an overconfident opponent in their tracks and Joey always found it highly amusing - as long as he wasn't on the other end of it.

If Yugi remembered rightly Joey had a similar reaction to Magical Hat.

"Fine." Bakura scowled, "Your move."

Yugi drew, "First off I activate Marshmallon Glasses." A pair of glasses attached themselves to Bakura's Disgraced Mage. "Until this card is removed from the field, you have to attack my Marshmallon, which means that I can summon this safely," Yugi summoned his second creature, one Joey hadn't seen before, in a green tunic with a huge collar, white trousers and a ridiculously pointy yellow hat, "My Tuned Magician, which has more than enough attack points to take down your Disgraced Mage."

"I activate Zoma the Spirit and Call of the Earthbound!"

Yugi's Spellcaster attempted to blast Bakura's zombie only to stop mid attack and blast the skeletal form of Zoma instead, which reformed on the field as a spirit and lashed out at Yugi.

The heir was knocked onto his back by the force of the blow, losing 1800 points in one fell swoop, landing a little too close to the edge for Joey's liking. The heir got to his feet slowly, wincing slightly as he did so and retook his place on the platform.

"I guess that ends my turn." Joey had to fight to hold back a wince at how horse Yugi's voice was and the concern at the tiredness that was becoming rapidly evident.

"Then I'll draw..."

* * *

"When I get my hands on the person who cast this spell, I'm going to..." Hermione trailed off when she saw the fear on Sera's face, anger turning into guilt as the woman darted between stacks, pulling down scroll after scroll and handing them to the small group of servants, Priests in training and guards who could read.

When she'd first come up with the spell excuse, it had been because she'd needed something that would sound semi-plausible and would make the woman who looked like her want to help her search. She hadn't meant to throw Sera into a complete panic.

But that had been exactly what she had done with her lie. The thought of the Pharaoh, who, from everything Hermione had heard from the people of the palace who had piled in to help, was a brave and noble ruler, being doomed to wander for eternity as a restless spirit either here on Earth or through Duat had thrown Sera for a loop.

Hermione didn't have the heart to tell her the truth though, that this was all some sort of game.

Nor could she tell Sera that the Prince Yugi that she supposedly served was in fact the reincarnation of the Pharaoh, the light half of the soul of the King who had given up everything, more than everything in fact, to keep his people safe and doomed himself to five thousand years of loneliness and pain in the dark.

In fact she didn't know what to say. Desperation was beginning to set in for her too. She knew time flowed differently in the Shadow Realm but it felt like days since she'd last seen Yugi, even though, even by the game's clock, it had only been maybe eighteen hours at worst.

She knew where Yugi and Joey had gone, but she didn't know if they were alright. After eighteen hours it was obvious that something had gone seriously wrong in Yami's tomb but...

"Priestess Hermione, Lady Sera," One of the men helping them stood up, stretching as he did so, "If I might be excu..."

He didn't get to complete his sentence as the huge door exploded inwards, flying across the room and crashing into a bookcase. Before anyone could react, a man in tattered robes and a strange mask had darted into the room and seized Sera, twisting one hand behind her back and holding his long, sharp claws to her throat.

Everyone in the room froze.

"Where is she?"

"I... I don't know who you're talking about." Sera stammered as Hermione slowly drew a card, preparing to defend the woman, only for the creature to stagger and release Sera as something hit him from behind.

Hermione pulled the woman behind her and called Kari's Dark Magician Girl to her aid as the creature wheeled around and took a swipe at the guard that had tackled him.

"Joey!" Hermione yelped as the blonde went flying into one of the many shelving units, which collapsed on top of him.

"That's not your friend." Sera informed Hermione, less concerned for the Captain of the Palace Guard and more concerned about the creature that was turning towards the two girls as everyone who couldn't summon their Ka beasts fled the room. "That's Nen. He's in charge of security."

"I'll hold him here," Hermione murmured, wondering if Joey was Nen's reincarnation and if all of Yugi's friends had had an analogue in Egypt, "Get out of here. Take Seth's friend with you."

Sera hesitated momentarily, shocked by the fact that the Priestess could summon not only her Ka beast, but Mana's too. The Ka beasts on those 'cards' seemed strange somehow, different...

"Sera!" Hermione snapped slightly, gesturing towards the creature, using a trick taught to her by Kari to snap someone out of their train of thoughts. The older brunette had often used it to interrupt the telepathic conversations between Yugi and Yami, "I'll fight him! Take Kisara and run."

Sera darted towards her rooms, ducking under the creature's outstretched arm as Hermione's Dark Magician Girl attacked the creature, backed up by the Millennium Witch that had been guarding Sera's room.

"Leave her alone." Hermione said, getting in the way, her two Duel Monsters guarding her, the Millennium Witch's effect boosting Mana's attack points. The Dark Magician Girl hovered protectively in front of Hermione as the creature considered her.

"Who are you?" The creature demanded, his voice defiantly human, though that didn't mean much, "How do you control the Shadows?"

"I..." Hermione paused as she realised that both Mana and the Millennium Witch were acting on their own, not only responding to her orders. A memory crossed her mind, of Luna telling her something...

"Aylth?" She asked the Millennium Witch, who nodded, giving her a small smile. "Guess Harry's not the only one who's spent too much time around the Millennium Items." She muttered, both amused and frustrated.

"Who. Are. You?"

Hermione's gaze snapped up to the creature as she took in the details. She hadn't seen anything like it before, a tall, badly proportioned humanoid in purple robes, long red hair and a strange white mask with a black mark over one eye. That wasn't what caught her attention though.

What did that was that the creature was wearing the same gold armlet that the High Priests had been wearing. If she was right, this meant one very important thing. The creature was a player character.

"I am Priestess Hermione, loyal servant to Prince Yugi. I am part of the Royal Court where I am from." She told him, sticking to her established story. She was already involved in the plot after all, "Who, or what, are you?"

The creature snorted, looking her over, "I was unaware we had royal guests. Step aside girl. You are no match for my power."

"My Prince would never forgive me if I stepped aside and let a friend get hurt." Hermione shook her head as Aylth boosted her own attack points. Hermione got it. The longer she kept him talking, the stronger her monsters would be when it came to the fight, "Who are you? And what do you want?"

He didn't bother answering. Instead he took a swipe at her protectors. Aylth was alright, but Mana let out a pained cry and exploded, causing Hermione to let out a pained moan and shudder as she lost 1750 life points, half of Mana's attack points.

Aylth snarled angrily and attacked the creature sending it flying across the room and crashing into the tables.

Sera and Kisara slipped out the door as the creature picked himself up, Hermione and her partner monster moving to intercept him as he tried to dart after them.

"I don't think so." Alyth told him, tapping her hand with her staff before glancing over her shoulder at Hermione, "Let's take him down, partner."

Hermione nodded, pointing her wand at the creature. "You never did tell me your name."

"I am the Shadow Magus Akhenaden, former High Priest to the Pharaoh of this land." The creature crowed, "Now I serve a greater power. Stand aside or die."

Hermione scowled. This creature in front of her, this 'Shadow Magus', was a traitor who had betrayed Yami.

"I won't let you hurt Kisara." Hermione stated, having already worked out that it was the dragon Akhenaden was after, not her or Sera. She set a shield spell at the door, hoping to use it to trap Akhenaden in the room with her.

She couldn't let him get to Sera and Kisara. Especially since she'd read all the scrolls and understood how Kisara the dragon had come to be. Kisara the girl would have to die for the Kisara she knew in the modern age to be born.

As she obviously had the first time around.

But everything was different now. Just the addition of their NPC characters to the story changed the flow and direction and if she could protect Kisara and Sera, she would. It was the right thing to do.

It was what Yugi would have done.

"Then I'm afraid," Akhenaden created a huge ball of black energy that seemed to absorb the light around it and grow bigger, "You're going to have to die."

With that he launched the attack. Hermione was faster, drawing a card and holding it up, "Draining Shield!"

Her life points shot up to 7250 when the attack hit the shield and Aylth boosted own her attack points again before she attacked. The Millennium Witch's magic striking the Shadow Magus who was flung across the room again but didn't seem to be destroyed.

Aylth didn't get a chance to press her advantage as Shadows rose around Hermione, only to take the shape of Akhenaden, who had vanished from the crater of tables, only to reappear at Hermione's side with his claws pressed against the teen's throat.

Aylth froze.

"So the trick doesn't only work on God monsters." Akhenaden commented as Hermione gulped, feeling something tickling down her throat, "All monsters who care about their summoner will stop if their caller's in trouble."

Fear coursed through Hermione. She hadn't even been aware that she could be harmed by player characters, unless this was a direct result of inserting herself into the plot...

Or perhaps the GM was adjusting the rules to take in the new players, but she wasn't aware that could be done once the game was in motion.

A thought tricked through Hermione's mind. There was a human form underneath that billowing robe...

She grabbed Akhenaden's wrist with both hands and slammed her boot onto his foot.

Akhenaden let out a pained cry, the shock allowing Hermione to pull herself free. Aylth yanked her partner behind her and launched an attack before the Shadow Magus could recover, blasting the creature.

Or attempted to. Akhenaden vanished in a swirl of Shadows. Hermione moved the moment the shadows started to swirl by her feet, not stupid enough to let herself be grabbed a second time.

"Negate Attack!" Hermione bellowed as Akhenaden launched an attack on Aylth. The Shadow Magus bounced back off of an invisible wall, letting out a frustrated growl as he cast his own shield spell to protect himself from Aylth's counter attack which bounced across the room and hit another shelving unit which exploded, sending shrapnel everywhere.

The wood and stone scraps distracted the pair, allowing Akhenaden to strike. Hermione drew a card just as his attack hit. The witch went flying into her shield spell and Aylth disintegrated.

Hermione whispered something as her life points shot down, trying to get up as she lost 5000 from his attack on her and 2950 from Aylth's destruction, her Duel Disk beeping as the damage was taken from her total.

The moment the counter hit zero and the beeping stopped, Hermione collapsed.

* * *

Voldemort was aware of the shifting tides of magic, it was impossible for him not to be. He knew the power that had pervaded his base as he spoke with his senior Death Eaters, basic control over it had been granted to him by the Pharaoh when 'Yami' had ripped the soul fragment that had been inside Potter (not that he'd been aware he'd had a soul fragment inside Potter until that point) out of the boy and sent it to the Shadow Realm.

But now the Shadows were uncontrollable, wild, free, hungry...

Casting a basic incendio spell wandlessly gave him a chance to draw his wand, but gave him time for little else before the creatures, long limbed bipedal creatures who were pure black in colour with spindly claws and glowing red eyes who seemed to be multiplying in the darkness, launched an attack on himself and the Death Eaters around him.

Nagini let out a startled hiss and Voldemort wheeled around to find that one of the creatures had its hand in her head.

"Avada Kedava!"

The spell struck the creature, but it wasn't quick enough. Before the spell hit, it had withdrawn its clawed hand, revealing a barely visible sphere of light, and while the spell disintegrated that creature, the three that attacked afterwards murdered the snake and devoured the sphere.

Voldemort snarled as he felt the bond snap, then almost in succession three more links vanished as the soul fragments on the other end of them were devoured by the darkness in an instinctive urge to finish the meal that had been offered to the Shadows by the Pharaoh whose need to seek his past had freed them.

The Shadows were feasting and the horocruxes made easy meals as the shadow creatures slipped through defences and tore the pieces away.

The objects themselves were almost impossible to destroy, but the fragments inside them were fragile and, it appeared, not shielded from these creatures.

And with the destruction of four more of his horocruxes, his ties to life were being ripped away. What was worse was that his soul was too unstable to create any more, there just wasn't enough of it left.

Now he had no choice but to put all his faith in his one remaining Horocrux. The pendant around his neck, which he'd transformed into a soul container when the Pharaoh had sent the soul fragment in Potter to the Shadow Realm, was never out of his sight.

Even as he defended his own life, watching lesser Wizards fall by the wayside as weaker spells slid off of the creatures like water, his mind was already on the cause of all this.

There were only a few people who could command the Shadows, and Voldemort or his Death Eaters had made an adversary of almost all of them, but he was certain who was to blame for this.

Potter wasn't the most powerful of the known Shadow wielders but he had the ear of the two most powerful Item holders and access to their power. One didn't have to be the one in power to have control over the throne after all.

He didn't think they had the power to do this, but if Potter's pet Kings could then he was certain that they had.

And all three of them were going to pay...

* * *

Draco was standing outside the hotel room, listening, while Golden proceeded to 'fetch' Ryou and trying to ignore the Shadows swirling around outside.

Inside the room the events proceeded like this.

Robyn entered the room and filled a cup with water.

"Ryou." She spoke calmly and firmly, ducking the pillow the white haired man threw as she entered the bedchamber before tipping the contents of the cup over the man in question.

Ryou instantly came awake ready for battle. The cup went flying, clattering against the wall, but not before Ryou was pulled out of the bed, tossed to the floor and ruthlessly dragged up by his hair.

"Ow! Get off of me!" There was a little too much of his other self in Ryou's tone, which faded quickly when Robyn tugged harder on his hair.

"I have no time for temper tantrums. You are to shower, get dressed and be ready to leave in ten minutes."

"What the...!" Ryou demanded, having been more than willing to sleep the whole, horrible day away. He knew what his other was doing. There was no way he couldn't have done and he didn't want to be awake when the end came.

"I am leaving the country. You are coming with me. Understand?" Robyn snapped at him, causing him to consider her carefully, "Do. You. Understand?" She repeated.

"Yes ma'am." Ryou finally nodded, figuring that if anyone could help him if Bakura fell and he went crazy, it would be someone who knew what insanity looked like and knew how to, if not cope, then deal with it.

She dropped him, not that he had far to fall and he dashed into the bathroom, confused as to why she was coming to help them now and why they needed to leave the country.

Robyn slammed open the door and pulled Draco inside, "Get your things."

* * *

Down in the tomb Yugi was in trouble.

Although he still had plenty of lifepoints, in fact he'd had them boosted up to 6150, he couldn't get to Bakura's. The Tomb Robber had shut Yugi down completely, destroying his own graveyard to implement a strategy that forced Yugi to discard almost half his deck each turn.

In just one more turn, Yugi was going to lose the duel.

Yugi swallowed hard as he considered the field, wincing at both the pain in his neck and the state of play. He had a card that could save him in his deck, at least he hoped it was still in his deck, with only six cards left, all of which would be discarded in his end phase, it was much more likely that the Monster Reborn he needed was in his Graveyard...

Yugi's hand shook as it hovered over his deck, fear coursing through him. He didn't think he could do this, not now. Yami had gotten out of tougher spots, but he wasn't his dark side and the cards had already been in place in that duel...

Yugi hated to admit it, but it was all over for him. Bakura couldn't get to his life points, but Yugi couldn't get to Bakura's either and on his next turn he wouldn't even get to his standby phase. He'd lose automatically when he was unable to draw...

"If you don't move soon, little Yugi, you'll lose." Bakura taunted him, enjoying Yugi's panic, having never managed to throw the Pharaoh pair this badly off their game before, "Hurry up."

Joey scowled at the Tomb Robber, easily able to see how scared Yugi was. It wasn't the first time that the world had rested on Yugi's shoulders, but it was the first time that everything had rested on just one turn. Joey was fully aware that, if Yugi couldn't beat Bakura, he didn't stand much of a chance.

But unlike like Yugi, Joey still had faith. Yugi didn't lose, not to anyone but Yami. If Yugi was waiting for a specific card, he would draw it. That was how his and Yami's luck worked.

"Yugi." The heir turned around to look at him, causing Joey to have "Listen to me and listen hard."

Yugi, still shaking, nodded.

"Remember what you taught me? That a true Duelist never surrenders? You can still win this."

Yugi looked down at his Duel Disk.

"You've fought tougher opponents then this freak." Joey continued, offering the support Yugi so badly needed, "Now hurry up and beat him. Yami needs us."

The heir nodded, taking a deep, pained, breath as he turned back to the duel, settling himself down.

And he drew.

Joey knew that he'd drawn something good by the way that Yugi straightened and his stance changed, that and it was like the area surrounding him got slightly brighter.

"Alright Bakura this is over." Yugi said, his tone confident, "I play Monster Reborn to bring back my Marshmallon, then tribute it with my Tuned Magician to syncro summon my Arcanite Magician!"

The white and blue robed, blue skinned spellcaster appeared on the field and pointed his staff at the enemy monsters.

"And I equip him with my two Mage Powers." Yugi continued.

Yugi already had four spell and trap cards on the field, one of which was a second Mage Power, so Arcanite Magician's attack climbed by 5000.

"And now I activate his special ability." Yugi continued, "Removing the two spell counters he gained when I summoned him," Arcanite Magician's attack points dropped from 7400 to 5400, "To destroy your Narrow Corridor and All Killing Death Curse cards."

"What?" Bakura yelped as his two cards disappeared, taking his strategy with them.

"And I active Stop Defence." Arcanite Magician's attack dropped by another 1000 as Yugi's Stop Defence activated and switched Bakura's Necrosoldier, who had no attack or defence points, to attack mode.

Joey whooped as he worked out Bakura's life points were too low to survive an attack from Yugi's syncro monster.

"Arcanite Magician! Attack his Necrosoldier!"

"Nooooooo!" Bakura bellowed as Yugi's spellcaster blew his Necrosoldier into next week, dealing 4400 points of damage directly to Bakura's life points.

When the dust from the attack faded, Bakura was gone.

Yugi's disc deactivated of its own accord as the heir let out a soft sigh. Joey moved to his side as his hand came up to his throat, which was badly bruised, "Because Bakura lost, he's banished." Yugi whispered, unable to speak much louder now the adrenaline had worn off, sounding almost sad.

Joey frowned slightly, but didn't say anything. Yugi wouldn't be Yugi if he didn't feel sorry for everyone who got hurt, even his enemies.

"Come on, Yuge." Joey urged his friend across the bridge of tablets, "We have to get moving."

Yugi nodded, still seeming a little stunned about his victory, and followed him into the next room. The room seemed like a highly decorated dead end, but, as Yugi read the tablet embedded in the wall he slowly paled and backed away, shaking his head.

"Yuge? I don't read Egyptian." Joey poked his friend.

"S...sorry. The final task... it's for me." Yugi whispered, beginning to panic again.

"What is it?" Joey demanded, hoping that it wouldn't be too difficult.

"He who completed the Millennium Puzzle must give up his wish."

Joey who had been examining the room around them, nearly missed what Yugi said and when it finally registered in his head what his friend had just come out with, he rolled his eyes.

"Remember what I told you at Christmas?" The blonde asked as he pushed Yugi onto one end of the scale like structure on the floor and headed for the other end himself, confidence waning slightly when the rest of the floor fell away and the scale part started wobbling up and down as a door opened up in the wall.

Yugi gazed at him cluelessly for a moment then it twigged.

" ** _You wasted your wish, Yuge."_**

He turned to look at the door, which had opened up behind him, then turned back to Joey. "I'm not leaving without you."

"Just jump." Joey growled at him, "I'll be fine."

"But..." Yugi looked down and blanched slightly when he realised that he couldn't see the floor to the pit.

"Go. I'll be with you in a minute. I promise."

"Joey..."

"If you don't jump, I'm going to burn your deck when we get out of here."

"You wouldn't..."

"Do you really want to take that risk?" Joey asked, putting on a dramatic look. "Go. Now. Before it's too late to help Yami."

It took Yugi a real effort but he turned and jumped, making it through the door.

Almost immediately the scales started falling. Joey darted across and jumped to the door as Yugi's side tilted up, his back foot missing the stone ledge only for Yugi to pull him into the room before he could fall, the pair collapsing on the floor long enough to hear the scales fall.

"Heh." Joey snorted, "Thanks Yuge."

"You're welcome Joey." Yugi whispered back, relief obvious, getting to his feet first and offering Joey a hand up. The blonde was distracted, however, by something huge and gold behind Yugi.

"Yuge... I think we found it..." He gestured and Yugi turned around, freezing when he read the letters in the giant golden cartouche. "Bird, rock, lamb chop, bird, bird in a bigger bird."

Yugi didn't chuckle because he could read the cartouche, he now knew Yami's name, his name... the name that they had shared so many Millennia ago...

"Our name..." Yugi breathed, "It's..."

Something started rumbling and sand trickled down from above.

"We've got to go." Joey interrupted, wanting to know, but realising that the tomb was collapsing. Then he swore as he realised the way back had collapsed.

"It's alright." Yugi promised, somehow knowing about a secret passageway out, not that he'd be able to explain how he knew later, and pushing him towards the exit. "Come on..."

The pair started running down the hidden passageway as the tomb started collapsing around them.

* * *

Yami blinked and looked away from events on the board and the bright light radiating from the Puzzle as Bakura coughed heavily, suddenly looking ill.

' _Bakura looks ill... what happened?'_ Realisation hit Yami, _'Yugi! It has to be!'_

"Your host was stronger then I realised." Bakura sounded almost impressed as he explained to the Pharaoh, already internally crowing over what he was planning to do, "He found your name."

Yami's eyes widened as he realised how close he was to both defeating Bakura and to finally finding out something that he'd wanted to know for close to a decade...

"Of course if I let him talk to you, I'll be in trouble. Your name is, after all, the key to winning this game." Bakura commented, completely unconcerned, "Five thousand years ago you sealed yourself into the Millennium Puzzle, shattering your soul and memories, and your True Name, the key to the seal that bound not only yourself but the great evil you sealed with you, was lost."

Bakura smirked at Yami, "I planned on defeating your host in your tomb, after all it was his too. It would have saved on a burial, but he surprised me, turning it around at the very last moment. So now I'm going to have to waste this."

Yami froze as Bakura reached for the third hourglass, the one that had yet to drain.

"Natural Catastrophe."

The moment the words left Bakura's lips the sand started pouring out of the diorama into the huge hourglasses that made up the legs of the table, starting with the corners, pulling the diorama apart.

The Valley of the Kings was sucked down in a vortex.

"Yugi!" Yami practically screamed, getting to his feet, tears building up, as the valley disappeared completely.

"By now he's gone." Bakura commented as if he was commenting on the weather, "Buried alive. Nasty way to go." Yami sat down heavily, staring blankly at the spot where the Valley of the Kings had been just moments ago, "Now not only have you lost the other half of your soul, but any chance you ever had at finding your name."

It didn't seem to register with the Pharaoh, who rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand and gave Bakura the most impressive death glare ever, not that it really mattered to the Tomb Robber who already had Yami's true name and who was amused by the fact that tears were building up in the Pharaoh's eyes all over again.

"Now nothing will stop Zorc! This game isn't over until his power destroys the entire world!" The Tomb Robber continued to crow, "Now, back to the game, the catastrophic earthquake worsens!"

Suddenly Yami was launched back into his role as the Pharaoh.

"Yami?" Seto demanded, noticing the change in the Pharaoh's demeanour almost instantly as they caught up with Zorc and Yami dismounted, grief and pain obvious in his body language.

"Yugi's..." Yami's voice caught in his throat.

"You can't know that." Seto told him, understanding almost instantly.

"I'm here, but I'm overseeing the game too." Yami told him as he tried to concentrate, finding it difficult in the face of this news, "The Valley of the Kings is gone. Yugi was there."

Seto cursed as Yami called Osiris, Ra and Obelisk to his side.

Both Yugi and the Mutt were dead... it wasn't something the CEO wanted to think about. When they'd split up Seto had expected to see the pair again. They seemed too lucky and too skilled to die... He supposed that even a charmed life had an expiration date.

"Stay back." Yami ordered Seto, "I'm not losing anyone else today." The three God monsters dove into battle but they weren't fighting in any way that Seto recognised. It wasn't Yami's typically tactically minded strategies, but a desperate attempt to destroy a foe that there was no way he could win against.

Then it hit Seto.

Yami wanted to win, but he didn't care if he survived. With Yugi dead, Yami had no interest in living...

Osiris, the God Seto more typically knew as Slifer the Sky Dragon, landed a blow on Zorc's back only to bellow in pain when the huge demon's claws raked his wings. Ra counter attacked, turning into Egyptian God Phoenix and striking at Zorc, setting the creature on fire, as it passed, and Obelisk the Tormentor landed a punch.

The combination of the three blows drove Zorc backwards. The Shadow Demon bellowed angrily at the three God monsters.

"Zorc Catastrophe!"

The cry seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere at the same time and Yami ordered his god monsters to retreat.

They weren't fast enough and Seto didn't have enough time to react before the huge black ball of energy struck the three God beasts at the same time, sending all three flying.

Seto, who had, along with Yami, been blasted off of his feet when the ball had exploded on contact with the Gods monsters, pushed himself to his hands and knees in time to see all three of the God beasts, who were unmoving in the sand where they'd landed, turn to stone.

The CEO's eyes widened and he wheeled around to look at Yami, who was half buried in the sand and unnaturally still. The Dark Magician unwillingly vanished from the field as the CEO darted to Yami's side and pulled him free of the sand only to realise that the Pharaoh's chest wasn't rising or falling.

He quickly checked the Pharaoh over, only to find Yami's Ba meter completely empty, no breath passing the Pharaoh's lips and only an incredibly weak pulse beating under the CEO's fingers when he tried to check it.

He didn't get a chance to try to resuscitate the King, as Zorc tried to finish what he started. Seto drew a hand, summoning his Different Dimension Dragon who took the hit and exploded, causing the CEO to tremble in exhaustion as his points dropped below the 1000 mark.

The world around them was slowly vanishing, the sand sliding away and the light fading more and more as Seto summoned his Blue Eyes White Dragons to protect them, not believing that they would do anything if Zorc could defeat all three God monsters at once, but needing to do something, unwilling to just quietly accept defeat.

Not that it mattered. He turned back to Yami, trusting his dragons to do their best, only to find the weak pulse that had been there just moments ago, was gone and the Pharaoh was already beginning to fade away.

Yami was dead.

Zorc had won.

The game was over.


	10. Seeking Help

**Kaiba Land Asia, Japan**

Things in the real world were looking bad.

Harry and Mai weren't the only Duellists that had worked out that they could summon their monsters, and there was a large group of them defending the brightly lit White Lightning Arena, where those who couldn't summon hid in the brightest area while the Duellists covered each other's back, trying to make sure that none of those Shadow creatures broke through.

Of course a lot of people had fled. Harry hadn't been surprised to find that Weevil had been among them, and he had no idea what had happened to those people. He just hoped that they weren't ending up like the first few who had been struck down by the ravenous Shadow creatures... he shuddered just thinking about it.

"If you're too tired, Harry..." Mai trailed off at the look he gave her. He felt sick, all the Duellists did, and exhaustion was running rampant among those who were trying to defend the tourists but they kept fighting. Some of them because of fear, some of them because it was the right thing to do, others because everything that had made their lives bearable was either dead or going to going to die shortly if they didn't...

Then everyone's worst fears were confirmed.

The lights flickered and died.

"They've gotten through!" One of the Duellists, Mako Tsunami, if Harry was right, bellowed.

"I summon Winged Wolf Pack! In attack mode!" Harry bellowed, holding his card up and calling his seven strong pack through from the Monster World, uncaring what happened to him as long as what remained of his family were safe and wishing that he had Luna, Rebecca, Ron or Ginny at his side too.

The moment the four star rated pack arrived Harry collapsed, barely conscious. Sirius pulled Harry into the group of Wizards who were trying (and only succeeding about half the time) to provide a second line of defence, as the pack, led by Wolf, tore through as many of the creatures as they could reach.

"We can't keep this up." Mai wheeled around to face the speaker only to find that it was one of this year's newbies, a machine Duellist, Lina McCreedy.

"We have to try." Mai told her, even as she wondered about the futility of this herself. The ones who had dealt with this sort of problem in the past were gone and she didn't know how to stop this rampage.

She hadn't even known she could summon her Duel Monsters until Airo had shown up, and yet she and Harry, who had been the first two to summon their creatures, were being looked to for answers...

A scream erupted as a pair of civilians were pulled out of the group without magic or summoning ability by a group of shadow creatures...

Even as the Duellists moved to save them and protect the rest of the group, a common thought was settling in everyone's minds.

They were going to lose...

* * *

**Hawkins Household, California, America**

Rebecca hadn't expected anything like this.

When Yugi had phoned her this morning to say that they were going to the museum to get Yami's memories back, she'd expected something to go wrong. It was pretty much a given considering how much trouble Yami and Yugi had attracted over the years, but she hadn't expected anything like this.

It had been a good thing though that she'd been unable to sleep. She'd been in the kitchen getting a snack when the Shadows had hidden the bright morning sky and monsters had started to rise out of the darkest corners.

Luckily for her, Minnola, her Emerald Dragon, had appeared at her side almost the instant that the Shadows had appeared, defending her as she darted up the stairs to her Grandfather's room where he was already loading a revolver.

This was quite possibly one of the few times she was glad that Americans had the 'right to bear arms', especially after the lights had gone out across the entire house in one fell swoop. Her Grandfather, Professor Hawkins, had pretty much dragged her into his study, which was quite possibly the easiest room to defend in the house and, as he and Minnola had covered the door, Rebecca tried to contact everyone she knew.

Only to find most of them weren't picking up.

It was quite possible that the Shadows were messing with everyone's signal. Their phones did, after all, work off of the Kaiba Corp satellites, but she'd managed to speak with Luna alright, and Ginny. It was those closest to the epicentre of the trouble that she couldn't contact, not even Harry, who had been visiting Kaiba Land Asia.

"Rebecca!"

The teen wheeled around, drawing from her deck almost instinctually as she did so, her Fire Princess coming at her call and blasting the creature that had leapt at her from the shadows underneath the desk, causing Rebecca to worry that the flames might damage her grandfather's notes.

She shouldn't have done though. The Fire Princess was careful with them, calling the fire back to her in order to use it again, wheeling around as her grandfather let out a pained cry. Fire Princess cast again to burn the creature that had dared to assault her Duellist's grandfather, blasting the creature off of the old archaeologist and shielding him from further assault as the bright orb of light the creature had pulled free from his chest sank back into his body.

Professor Hawkins's eyes opened almost the moment that the orb vanished beneath his clothes and he scrambled to grab the handgun, finishing reloading it quickly and backing up to stand next to his Granddaughter as exhaustion forced her to her knees, the drain from holding both the Emerald Dragon and the Fire Princess causing her to have trouble staying awake.

It took a moment but she worked it out, what these creatures were after.

They weren't just trying to kill them.

They were trying to take their souls.

And Rebecca didn't know what to do. Those she'd normally turn to were half a world away and even if they hadn't been she couldn't get in contact with them...

Whatever Yugi and the others were doing, whatever it was that had gone wrong, she hoped they fixed it soon.

She wasn't sure how much longer she could hold up...

* * *

**Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Scotland**

Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry had always been a safe haven for students. Now however the 'safest place in Britian' was turning into a last line of defense.

When the Shadows had first covered the world, a lot of the Wizarding Britain, even with the slander that the Ministry had tried to bandy around, had automatically looked to Dumbledore for answers.

The Headmaster hadn't had any. He had about as much clue about what was going on as the rest of the wizarding world. No, that wasn't true - after the experiences of the last four years, he could take an educated guess as to the magic that was currently choking the planet, but he couldn't give them the answers they were looking for.

The answers to such questions as 'How did this happen?' and 'How do we stop it?'

The children, who had been either sent here for protection or ushered into the relative safety of the Great Hall by their parents, had more clue about what was going on. Spending time around the Millennium Item wielders helped, but only Ron, Ginny and the twins really had any sort of idea as to what was happening.

This had something to do with the return of Yami's memories and none of them thought it was a good sign.

The four of them could feel the Shadows swirling around the school, testing and eroding the wards that had kept the ancient castle safe for hundreds of years, attempting to break through to the souls that were inside and only the combination of the ancient wards and the spells being cast by those trying to protect the school were enough to keep them at bay.

And both were faltering.

Every student at Hogwarts had heard horror stories of the Shadow Realm, most assumed that they were circulated by a certain pair of Malfoys to keep everyone terrified of them, something that would work much better if the Mutou twins didn't keep putting them in their place, but no one had imagined that something like this could happen.

"Mokuba! Hey!"

At Ginny's relieved words everyone turned to listen, hoping that she could shine some light on what the hell was going on.

"What is…? You don't know either? Bakura what?"

"What?" Ron demanded, getting in Ginny's face only to be pulled away by the twins.

"Are you alright?" Ginny sounded concerned, "I'm glad… No, I can't contact Yugi either. His phone rings but I get no answer."

Ron scowled and shook off his brother's arms, starting to pace again as other students drifted away from them now they knew they had no answers.

"I don't know, Mokuba… It's possible…" Ginny squeaked and fell off the podium she'd been pacing as the huge stain glass window smashed and the shadows seeped into the brightly lit hall.

As one the students drew their wands, trying to defend themselves as the creatures that had been causing their protectors so much trouble swarmed the hall.

Ginny scrambled away as a pair of creatures attempted to attack her, terror plain on her face…

"Ginny!"

At the twin's cry a pair of Double Costans, Zombie effect monsters that acted more like ghosts then Zombies, appeared in a burst of purple light and struck at the creatures, who let out a horrible screech and dissolved back into the darkness.

"Did we do that, Gred?" George asked his brother, shocked.

"I believe so, Forge." Fred nodded in reply, just as stunned.

Ginny scrambled to her feet, firing off a couple of the spells Mokuba had taught her during the last school year as she joined her brothers, whose twin ghost like monsters were defending their Duellists as well as any other student that happened to be close by, scowling as her spells slid off the shadowy creatures.

"Anyone else got a deck on them?" Ron asked as he pulled his small stack of cards, which he could loosely call a deck though it didn't have much strategy to it, out of his back pocket, having grabbed them without thinking.

"Why?" One of the others asked even as he pulled a stack of cards out of his jacket pocket.

"Apparaître!" Ron bellowed as he waved his wand. His Swordmaster Yione appeared out of nowhere and started attacking the creatures without a single command, but missed the shade that tried to take Ron out from a distance only to be stopped by a Steel Scorpion that had been summoned by his sister.

"Thanks Ginny."

"You can thank me later." Ginny shot back, not quite sure where the Steel Scorpion had come from, and wary of the headache that had come with it, but glad of its appearance.

Ron nodded, darting back to show some of the others how to use apparaître as Fred, George and Ginny tried to work out if they could replicate their summoning feats with more of their monsters as the creatures continued to pile in through the broken window…

* * *

**Lourdes, France**

In France, the shadows struck in the small hours of the morning. Two girls slept uneasily in their hotel beds, taking a deserved break from the multi-stage tournament they were both engaged with. Their room assignments had been random, but through luck or providence, Fleur Delacour was sharing a room with a muggle Duellist named Ivy Beauclerc. The pure-human girl woke first, feeling the darkness encroaching despite the night and storm.

"Fleur, did you hear that?" she asked in French, frowning. She didn't know why she reached for her deck, but it seemed to simply appear in her hand by the time she'd finished forming the thought to get up and dressed.

"What?" Fleur asked, looking back, sleepily. "What's wrong ?"

"I'm not sure." Ivy admitted. "Something… creepy. Hungry." She looked at the window, then the door. Finally, her head snapped around when she heard the other girl shriek and fall out of bed.

"Stupefy!" Fleur yelled, and there was a bright flash of red light and some… _thing_ cried out.

"What was.. ?" Ivy mumbled, staring. "S-swordstalker?" She gasped, realising what she was looking at. The human-shaped duel monster was already recovering from whatever Fleur had done, but the blonde wasn't idle either.

"Run, Ivy! Find my sister, and Marcel Delacroix!"

"Ok. What about you, Fleur?" Ivy asked, pulling on a dressing gown over her night dress.

"I'll be fine. Gabrielle will protect you." Fleur told her, making Ivy pause in confusion. Fleur turned her attention back to what appeared to be a real, live duel monster, lifting a wooden stick in her hand. "Protego!" She cried, twisting it through the air to create a nearly invisible barrier that the sword-wielding monster bounced off once, before tearing through as if it wasn't there with a moment's thought. Fleur cried out in surprise, saving her neck by virtue of falling backwards over Ivy's bed.

The window shattered inwards with a great crack, then the air was full of shrieking and the beating of powerful wings.

"Harpie Girl?" Ivy asked. The blonde monster gave her a grin, and she felt a moment of connection before the pink-winged beast backflipped away from one of Swordstalker's attacks. A second monster slipped in through the opening to cast a trio of ice daggers into the monster's chest, before following up with a second salvo from her other hand. "And the Princess of Tsurugi?" She continued, gaping at the blonde Warrior.

"My name is Ran." The Princess told her, as Harpie Girl gathered power before hurling a mini-tornado at Swordstalker, point first, finishing it off. The purple-armoured monster shattered with a twisted cry. Harpie girl turned on a wingtip to hug Ran round the shoulders from behind and kissing the pale-skinned warrior on the cheek.

"I'm Sophie." She said with a huge grin. "We were hunting nearby when we felt you were in danger. Are you hurt, Mistress?"

"Um… no…" Ivy shook her head. "Um… then… are you..?"

"We are the leaders of the monsters who reside in your deck." Ran nodded.

"What's going on?" Fleur asked, looking between the monsters and her temporary room-mate, still holding her wand.

"The Shadows are free." Sophie grinned. "It's great. We can hunt as much as we like, and we can see Mistress Ivy any time!"

"I believe I saw LeGuin nearby. If you go to the roof, I am sure he would like to meet you." Ran told the half-Veela Witch.

"I… I have to find my sister." Fleur told them. "Then I will go. Thank you." She looked at Ivy. "Will you be alright?"

"I'll…" Ivy looked from Fleur to the two Duel Monsters, Ran trying (unsuccessfully) to slip free of her partner's embrace. "I think I'll be just fine." She decided, giving Fleur a smile. "Do you want us to come with you?"

"Uh, no." Fleur shook her head. "I'll manage on my own." She told her, before practically fleeing from the room.

* * *

**Just outside of Reykjavik, Iceland**

Luna had been on an expedition with her father and a couple of guides to find the elusive Icicle Dragon, when all hell had broken loose.

On the plus side they'd found one. On the downside it had been just moments before darkness had covered the skies and they'd come under attack from a group of monsters that appeared to have no discernable origin and weren't above attacking anything and everything living in the area.

"Hello Arzu." Luna said amiably to the Allure Queen lvl5 that appeared out of nowhere to defend her, sitting down heavily as tiredness hit her, only to be dragged to her feet by her father.

 _Hello Luna._ The Duel Monster replied, amused by her Duellist's complete lack of concern as the wizards around them attempted everything they could think of to protect themselves and found their spells merely passed through the creatures, or worse bounced off and struck their casters, severely injuring several of their group. _May I?_

At Luna's nod, Arzu launched into battle, taking down several creatures in one fell swoop, covering the retreat as they attempted to get back to their vehicles and retreat back to the capital city.

"What in Merlin's name are these things?" Their regular guide demanded, terrified.

 _These things,_ Arzu broadcasted to everyone there, _Are soul devourers that were released when the Demon defeated the King._

Luna's eyes widened at her words and Arzu realized too late what she'd said so matter of factly. She'd forgotten that her Duellist was in the same Clan as the Pharaoh whose death would have broken the seal.

 _Luna, I'm…_ Arzu trailed off and turned back to blasting the creatures, unsure what to say to her Duellist. She didn't need to say anything, it wouldn't matter for too long. Every Duel Monster knew of the demon, Zorc, and his control over the Shadows and no one had spoken to their Duellist at length about him, believing that the seal would never break and that the legendary Nameless Pharaoh would never fall in such an important game.

Now he had it was just a matter of time before either the human race was wiped out or someone worked out how the Nameless Pharaoh had sealed Zorc the first time and gave their name, memories and soul to do it again.

Not that there was any guarantee that such a solution would work a second time. The Shadows were stronger this time. They'd had over five thousand years to grow and gain power.

Then it hit her. She wasn't supposed to do it, but the Shadow Realm had taken over the human world anyway, it wasn't like she was risking her Duellist's sanity any further by taking her where she wanted to take her.

The main risk to her plan was that if her Duellist spent too long there, she could become a Duel Monster herself, but what was worse?

Having your soul ripped apart or turning into a Duel Monster?

 _Luna._ Arzu retreated to the side of her Duellist, _We can't stay here. I can't protect you._

"It's ok, Arzu, I… Father!" Luna cried out as her dad was dragged down by several creatures. The guide held her back, trying to protect her as Arzu tried to blast all of the creatures away and save him.

She was too late.

The shadows devoured his soul and left behind an empty vessel.

Arzu made her decision.

Returning to her Duellist's side, she confiscated her shell shocked partner from the guide and vanished, taking Luna to the one place she knew was safe.

The Dark Palace in the Monster World.

* * *

**Kame Game Shop, Domino, Japan**

Ombre had no patience for Yugi's parents.

When the first of the Duel Monsters linked to the six Shadow-Touched Duellists who had been in store when the darkness had fallen had appeared at their Duellists' side, they had explained the situation to their incredibly confused summoners.

The Pharaoh and his guardians had fallen and the Shadows were free…

At which point Yugi's parents had fallen into desolate grief for the son they had barely known, while Solomon, who had raised his Grandson for the last thirteen years, and Ombre, whose brothers had just been announced dead, had pulled themselves together, drawing strength from each other, and put themselves into action.

When it had become obvious that the wards Ombre and Yami had worked so hard to create together, combining the magics of the Orb and the Puzzle to create layered wards that would provide a safe haven for them when they came home for the holidays, were going to stand firm where the wand based wards that Yugi's parents had put up just a few weeks ago hadn't, the Princess had called Shadowfae to her and 'borrowed' the two oldest of the Shadow-Touched Duellists who had been at the tournament in order to try and get others to the safety of the shop.

Not that it was hard to attract people to the safety of the shop, not when it was the only place that still had lights. Everywhere else was lit with that odd, dim, light that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at the same time that the Shadow Realm was so good at providing.

Ombre and her two helpers, Takahashi, a brown haired, brown eyed wiry built young man, and Lun, a black haired, brown eyed, heavy set young woman, both of whom were over eighteen and had had the risks of doing this explained to them before she'd even taken them out of the door, had managed to rescue quite a few people, but with over fifty people cowering in the back room where the tournament had been being held the Shadows were pushing at the barriers that were in place.

The three younger Shadow-Touched, who hadn't been allowed to help Ombre with the fighting outside because they were considered too young (and two of them were too scared anyway), were 'guarding the windows' in case the wards gave out and they were attacked, but Ombre didn't think they would need to fight.

The Shadows had, after all, always hated her light and had always had trouble feeding from it, unlike Yugi's, mostly because the two types of light magic came from different sources. Yugi's light was much brighter than hers, but hers cast less shadows so there was much less to feed on.

As such it would take much longer for the Shadows to erode her wards, even if they broke through Yami's, which, with the Pharaoh dead, it was likely that they would do sooner rather than later.

"Ombre." Solomon put his hand on her shoulder as she hovered near the doorway to the shop, watching the street outside, where several shadow creatures, some of whom looked like Duel Monsters, prowled. The Princess turned to look at the man she considered her Grandfather and frowned slightly when he shook his head. "No more, Ombre. Takahashi and Lun are exhausted. They don't have your training."

Ombre blinked and looked at the other two who had sunk to the floor and were sitting with their heads practically on their knees, their Duel Monsters, a Naturia Horneedle and a Twilight Rose Knight, watched her warily hoping she wouldn't send their Duellists back outside again.

The older Duellist, who hadn't mentioned that Ombre too was beginning to look drained because he knew all too well that Yugi's particular brand of stubborn had infected most of his household, was relieved when Ombre nodded.

"Later, maybe." The Princess agreed, knowing, unlike her brothers, you couldn't save everyone and it was better to keep the few safe then overstretch yourself and get everyone killed.

Solomon nodded at her, trying to focus on what he needed to do and not on what he had lost. It was hard though and the only way he was keeping himself going was reminding himself that there were people who needed him, though the grief would catch up with him eventually. It was a given.

"Mutou-San." One of the parents, the father of one of the younger Shadow-Touched, Hinata Asuka, who played with Six Samurai monsters, if Solomon was correct, poked his head out of the door that led to the back room that they'd been using for the tournament, "May I have a word?"

Solomon nodded and followed him through, trying to ignore the sob that came from behind him as Ombre slid down the wall she'd moved to lean against and, now she wasn't going out to fight, buried her face in her hands and cried for everyone she'd lost.

* * *

**Phoenix, Arizona, America**

If ever Tristan could have called in a Situation 4 it would have been now.

He'd been preparing for his flight to Domino for the major tournament that was about to go down in the Kaiba Land amusement park in Japan and silently cussing the fact he hadn't been able to get a flight before so he could go with this friends to the museum, when the skies had gone dark and all hell had broken loose.

He had quite a few friends along the tournament circuit, he was at so many of the five star and upwards ranked tournaments that a lot of the Duellists knew him rather well, and he'd been lucky in that he'd been rooming with one of them.

Melina Brown had been invited to the next tournament on his watch list, so they'd agreed to travel together as far as Domino, where she'd meet up with her friends and he would meet up with his. Or at least that had been the plan until the skies had flooded with a swirling pattern of blacks and purples that he recognized all too well and Mel's Fairy monsters had decided that they were going to protect the pair of them from those Duel Monsters who were under 'Zorc's' control and the shadows that were attempting to rip people's souls from their bodies.

He already owed her his life at least once. When her monsters had filled them in on what was going on, Tristan had been thrown completely for a loop. He'd known and, if not accepted, understood that there was a risk that Yami would leave today, but he had never expected the others to die as well.

And that was what had happened, at least according to Mel's Dancing Fairy trio.

"Don't go phasing out on me again Tristan." Mel snorted, as Tristan slowed down again as they tried to make it to the much easier to defend rooms further in the building, "You can't grieve if these things steal your soul."

An hour or so ago Mel would never have believed him if he'd tried to explain about the Millennium items to her, but now she was offering advice like that?

He supposed that the whole world was going to change now, not just Mel. Magic wouldn't be able to hide after this mess.

Not that his friends had ever been good about hiding the Shadow magic during the tournaments, though, in Yugi and Yami's defence, they generally weren't the ones to start shadow games during matches that were broadcast worldwide. No that had normally been something someone else had started and Yugi and Yami finished.

"Come on." Mel grasped his hand exasperatedly when he was too slow for her liking, "Just one more flight of stairs and then we'll be home free."

Those were famous last words as Tristan looked up the stairs to find a group of warrior monsters waiting for them.

This wasn't going to be fun.

* * *

**Berlin, Germany**

Leon von Schroeder awoke with a start and a terrible sense of foreboding, as though something terrible had happened. The edges of the room pulsed, darkly, but it didn't have the feel of a migraine, or the edge of a panic attack.

"What is going on?" He wondered, softly in German, reaching for his deck, the faerie-tale monsters ever a familiar comfort. He looked at the cards in surprise as he felt a pulse, then drew the top one. "Red Hood?" He guessed, before turning the card over to look. It was glowing, softly. Before his eyes had even had a chance to open in surprise, the card flashed, and a girl was sitting on his bed. Not just any girl – the girl from the card.

"The pharaoh has fallen." She told him in a melodious soprano. "The pharaoh has fallen and the shadows are unleashed. But we are not free."

"What do you mean?" Leon asked, frowning. "Are you really..?"

"The master of your deck." She nodded. "The demon Zorc has been freed, unleashing five thousand years of darkness upon the world. He has defeated the pharaoh and his champions. He rules the shadows… only those of us who have a human guardian may yet act freely from him. You are our Master, Leon Shadow-Touched. Please, call your army. Call upon the rest of your deck. We will all be needed before the night is out if any of us are to survive." Red Hood took his hands, looking earnestly into his eyes and making the fifteen-year-old blush slightly at the intensity of her gaze.

"R-right…" He nodded. "But what's going to attack us?" He asked.

"Monsters." Red Hood said, simply. "Wild monsters of the Shadows will seek out human lives to consume at their leisure, gaining in substance and reality until they are no longer simply creatures of the soul, but true creatures of the flesh as well."

"Alright." Leon swallowed as she released his hands. He drew the top card from his deck and summoned without looking. "Cinderella."

* * *

**Danville Mall, Danville, America**

Tea was devastated.

For over six years she'd known that her friends, no, her brothers, were the only thing stopping the world from falling into five thousand years of darkness. For six years she'd kept the secret and hoped, every time that they got into danger, that they'd come home safely.

And now her worst fears were realized. She didn't need the monsters who followed the instruction of Amy, her Dance Instructor's daughter, to fill her in on what was happening. The moment the skies had been swamped by darkness she'd known.

And she'd burst into tears.

Lydia, her instructor, who had taken her out for a meal to wait on news about her 'terminally ill' brother, was confused but understood Tea needed comfort and had come over and hugging her.

In a moment of temporary insanity Tea had told her everything.

About wizards, about Dementors, about the Puzzle, about Yugi, about the Pharaoh.

Everything.

Lydia hadn't believed her to start with, but when the shadows had started to attack everyone and Amy's Duel Monsters had appeared at their Duellist's side, she'd started to.

It was a relief, if anything, to finally have all these secrets off of her chest, especially after so long but it didn't help her pain.

Her brothers were dead or worse, had had their souls ripped apart, and the world was doomed.

She didn't know what to do, how to help, who to call. Everything and everyone was in trouble.

Amy cried out in pain as her Amazoness Trainee fell to a much larger beast, causing Tea to take in what was going on around her for the first time in a while.

"You back with us, Tea?" Lydia asked, looking relieved, having been afraid that the woman had been attacked by one of the creatures and she hadn't noticed while she'd been keeping an eye on her daughter.

Tea nodded, looking around at the gathering of people. It was a large group, some of whom were magical, some of whom were Shadow Duellists, like her friends and most of whom were completely normal.

You could tell the normal ones. They were the ones gathering in a bunch and giving the magic users and Shadow-Touched some really strange looks and fighting off the creatures with guns. She just hoped that they didn't turn those weapons on those who were different if there was a lull in attacks.

Not that she expected there to be but she knew how afraid people got of things that were different. Yugi had always been very lucky with his friends, but the sort of power he had wielded would have scared most people, heck it had scared her on occasion, and most people would rather destroy what they didn't understand then deal with it.

Of course it wouldn't matter soon if they couldn't work together. They had another five thousand years of this after all and if they couldn't help each other, no one would survive this.

If only Yugi was around, he'd always been good at bringing people together. He'd know what to say…

But then if Yugi was around, none of this would have happened…

Tea shook herself and tried to focus on the problem at hand. She couldn't think about her friends right now, not with everything going on. When she had time, she would mourn, but until then she had to stay strong.

Steeling herself, she pulled out her deck and went to the aid of her friends and instructors. "Come forth, Phasing Sprite Phobos!"


	11. Traveller, Remember Your Name

**Memory World**

In the skies above what remained of Ancient Egypt two blurs streaked towards the battlefield.

Around them the world was growing dark and ahead of them Zorc was bellowing in victory as three white dragons tried to protect their Duellist and take down the undefeatable.

It had been close. When the tomb had collapsed they'd nearly been trapped inside.

Luckily for them they'd just made it out of the entrance when the sands had sucked the tomb underground.

Now they were in a desperate rush to reach the fighting.

They both knew something was very wrong. They'd been able to hear the God monsters bellowing, and yet there was no signs of them and the way the world seemed to be fading around them wasn't a good sign.

Then they spotted them, Seto, who was on his feet and trying to direct his dragons and Yami who was…

"Yami!" Joey heard Yugi squeak.

Before Joey could react to Yugi's call, the hikari was diving to reach the side of his fallen, fading, link partner.

* * *

"Kuriiii..."

Hermione let out a soft groan as something fuzzy and soft nudged her.

"Move furball." A voice Hermione recognised said, helping her into a sitting position as her eyes opened slowly. "Easy, you're hurt."

The teen's vision was blurry, her limbs felt weak and her head ached, the cost of losing all of her life points, and it took her a moment to realise why she was still alive. "Kuriboh?" She asked, reaching for the brown ball of fur, not that she could see it properly.

"Kuriii." It pushed itself under her outstretched hand, cooing gently.

"It worked then." Hermione breathed, relief coursing through her as she picked up the Relay Soul card she'd dropped when she'd collapsed. Then she looked up at who was holding her, "Joey?" She asked, "You're hurt too..."

"My name is Nen." The blonde blur corrected her, wincing as he helped her to her feet, where she wavered unsteadily, "Where did that creature go?"

"Sera!" Hermione's eyes widened and she tried to dart down the corridor towards the loud noises she could hear, only for Nen to get ahead of her.

"Let me go first." The Captain of the Guard told her, leading the way out, heading towards the sounds, only to come outside just in time to see the Egyptian God monsters fall in battle.

"The Gods fell?" Nen gasped, shock obvious.

"No..." Hermione breathed, tears building up, having only seen gold, red and blue blurs, but understanding what their fall meant. Sera had told her that only the Pharaoh could call the Gods and if all three had fallen...

Yami was gone...

It was all over...

A scream pierced the air, a woman's scream, startling Nen out of his horrified shock. The guard dragged her along, Kuriboh bouncing at her side, to find the High Priest Seth holding the body of the white haired woman called Kisara. Sera lay unconscious at the bottom of a wall and the creature that had nearly killed Hermione earlier, the former High Priest Akhenaden, was gloating over her.

Nen left Hermione by the wall and moved between Seth and Akhenaden, "In the name of the Pharaoh…" He began, only to be cut off as Akhenaden burst into laughter.

"In the name of the Pharaoh?" Akhenaden asked, "The Pharaoh is dead and the world is ending. You cannot stop it now!" Akhenaden turned to look at Seth, "Now, my son, rise and take your place in the new world."

Hermione pushed herself away from the wall, urging her Kuriboh to stay hidden, but before she could act Seth had set Kisara down gently, gotten to his feet and confronted his former mentor.

"You are not my father. The best part of him died years ago, honorably on the battlefield." Seth snarled, furious as Isis grabbed Hermione's arm and dragged her back, away from the conflict, "I don't want to rule, I never have! I only ever wanted to be your heir, the heir to the one who defended the throne, never the power on it!"

At his words a huge, bright white light formed above Seth, taking a shape that Hermione knew all too well even if she couldn't see the details properly.

"Kisara." The teen breathed as the huge dragon bellowed furiously.

"We'll drive you and your shadows out of Egypt!" Seth swore, "You will never destroy Egypt while I still stand!"

"If you refuse to bow to Zorc, he will kill you."

"Then I'll die protecting my country."

* * *

"Yami! Seto!"

The CEO looked towards the source of the voice, but by the time he'd spotted Yugi and Joey the hikari had landed and seized the hand of his fallen dark, glowing brightly with a white aura which slowly drained into the fading Pharaoh, Yugi's life point counter beeping rapidly as his life points drained away.

"Don't look so surprised, Rich Boy." Joey smirked at him as he landed, having been completely unaware of the reports of his death, "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"You died. In Yami's tomb." Seto told him, suddenly realising what Yugi was trying to do and turning to his quasi-brother, "Yugi, he's..." Seto paused when he realised that Yami had turned solid again and the Ba meter on Yami's bracer was starting to fill.

"It was close, but we made it out. TOBIAS!" Joey said, shaking his head as put himself between the Pharaohs and Zorc, his Red Eyes Black Dragon appearing with a roar at Joey's call. "Now I need your help. We need to give Yugi time." He told Seto, who was still stunned that Yugi seemed to be bringing Yami back from the dead, "Oi! Rich boy!" Seto snapped his attention back to the mutt, glowering as he did so, "They're the same soul, they need each other. As long as one lives, the other will too, but we need to give Yugi time to bring Yami around."

Seto nodded, understanding, and turned to face Zorc, the sound of the continual beeping of Yugi's Duel Disk making him worried, though he would never show it if he could help it. How much would Yugi have to give up to bring Yami back?

"What's your point count?" Joey demanded, sending his dragon to attack the huge demon and distract it, only for Red Eyes to have to dodge around Zorc's talons.

"Enough." Seto lied, refusing to seem weak when those who he considered family needed him, sending his dragons to back up Tobias, listening to what was going on behind him as he did so.

"You don't stand a chance against me!" Zorc snorted, attempting to attack the dragons, who dodged his blows by millimetres.

"No, he wouldn't." Kaiba snorted, "But we would, Blue Eyes!" The three Blue Eyes White Dragons shot into the sky, out of the reach of Zorc's claws, "White Lightning!"

"Save some for us," Joey bellowed as Kisara and her sisters fired, "Tobias, Inferno Fire Blast!"

"Don't you dare leave!" As fire and light struck Zorc, causing him to let out an outraged cry of pain, Seto heard Yugi pleading with his dark side as his energy drained away, the hikari silently praying to anyone that would listen, that they would all get out of this alive. The world started spinning around him as his life points shot down past the 1000 mark, "Please, please come back to me."

Yami opened his eyes as Yugi's points passed the 500 mark and continued to fall. "Yugi?" He asked, shock and confusion obvious as he sat up slowly, trying to work out what was going on and how he'd come back from the Shadows and how Yugi was here, really here, when he'd been... "But you're..."

"I'm here, at your side, where I should be." Yugi whispered, letting go of Yami's hand. Yami looked his hikari over properly. The man was coated in sand, his shoulders were slumped, his eyes were half closed, his face ashen, his neck bruised, he was trembling with exhaustion, even his hair looked limp and yet Yugi was still giving him a reassuring smile even as he shielded the life point counter on his disk from Yami's vision.

The Pharaoh didn't have much trouble moving Yugi's hand away from the counter and guilt coursed through the Pharaoh when he realised Yugi had sacrificed all bar 1 life point to bring him back from a fate worse than death, "What're you doing here?" He demanded of the hikari, getting to his feet to join Joey and Seto in the fight, knowing Yugi would no longer have the energy to.

"We found your name." Joey told him as Yugi tried to get to his feet but his legs gave out under him, his hand going to his throat as he tried to tell Yami what it was, only for a pained squeak to emerge, too tired to force the words out.

"You what?"

Joey didn't get a chance to repeat himself as Zorc destroyed his dragon, causing Joey to fall to his knees as he lost 2400 life points in one shot.

Seto surprised everyone by helping Joey to his feet. "Stay back mutt." Kaiba snarled. "We'll handle this."

At his words, the three Blue Eyes White Dragons struck at Zorc who fired back at them. The light met the flames in the middle and the explosion knocked everyone off their feet.

When the smoke cleared, the dragons were picking themselves up but Zorc was injured as well.

"Seto!" Yami yelped, moving to Yugi's side and helping him sit up even as he looked around for the CEO, surprising Seto with his concern, "Are you alright?"

"Fine." Seto glowered at the monster.

Yugi grabbed Yami's arm, pulling his dark side close so he could whisper to him, "Your name, it's..."

Zorc bellowed and unleashed another wave of flame.

"Your name," Yugi whispered, his voice just loud enough for Yami to hear him, "Is Atem."

Light exploded out as fourteen years worth of memories flooded the Pharaoh's mind, shielding them from the heat and the danger. Atem grasped Yugi's arm when it felt like the tide of memories threatened to wash him away and felt Yugi's hand on his in reply, the pair holding onto each other in the middle of the storm of images, sounds and emotions.

Then as fast as it had hit them, it died down leaving the pair reeling.

"Yams? Yuge? You, ok?" Joey asked as the light died down.

Atem shot to his feet, calling the Egyptian Gods forth. The stone tablets remained silent but the cards that Yugi had put into his deck responded, shooting out of Yugi's Duel Disk and hovering in mid air. Three lights shot from the cards, red, gold and blue, to the corresponding petrified Egyptian Gods, settling over the statues and bringing them back to life, just as Yugi's light had revived Atem.

With roars of triumph the three settled themselves between the demon and their caller.

"This can't be happening!" Zorc bellowed, furious that everything had changed so suddenly, launching another attack.

Atem scowled and, with a wave of his hand, a shield appeared in front of the gods and the dragons, protecting everyone by absorbing the attack.

"Bloody hell." Joey whispered in English, having moved back to give Atem room to work.

"Seto." Atem nodded to the CEO, unwilling to move from Yugi's side but needing Seto out of his way.

"Pharaoh." Seto, trying not to think about the implications of such a power boost, nodded and stepped aside, calling his dragons out of the sky.

"Zorc, it's time you met these three properly." The Blue Eyes White Dragons landed as Atem spoke, gesturing to his monsters, "Meet Ra, God of the Sun, Osiris, God of the Heavens and Obelisk, God of the Earth."

Zorc didn't say or do anything. There was nothing he could do to stop the Pharaoh now. The game was over, the Pharaoh had his name...

Zorc… had lost.

"And, in the name of the King, in my name, I fuse them together..."

"You can do that Yuge?" Joey demanded of Yugi, who gave him a confused look for a moment and then nodded as the God Monsters fused in an incredible light show, into a man with gold, white and red armour who looked almost sad.

"Behold, the Creator God of Light!" Atem bellowed as the light died to reveal a man, in gold, white, blue and red armour, "Horakhty!"

"Noooo!" Zorc bellowed, throwing everything into one last attack.

Horakhty just waved it off as if it was nothing.

"Zorc!" Atem called to the demon, who froze and looked at him, "Lord of Shadows! I banish you from this world! Sublime Light Djeseru!"

In a wave of light, Zorc was destroyed, bellowing right up until the moment he shattered into millions of pieces which, in turn, were destroyed by the light, leaving nothing of the shadow demon behind.

The skies over what was left of Ancient Egypt cleared.

"Is that it?" Joey asked, shocked as he looked upwards at the clear blue sky, "Is it over?"

"Yes."

Everyone jumped a mile as Horakhty spoke, turning to look at the monster, who was watching them carefully.

Atem helped Yugi to his feet as Horakhty spoke again. "Your mission's complete, Pharaoh Atem."

"I guessed as much." Atem replied, glancing at Yugi, who gave him a small smile.

"There is one final challenge for you." Horakhty continued, "One final battle that must be undertaken before you may leave. The Rite of the Duel."

"The..." Atem frowned, "Are you saying that there is one more Duel Monsters battle I must fight?"

"Indeed." The Creator confirmed, "You must be defeated in a fair duel by your successor." Everyone glanced at Yugi, who still looked woozy but nodded, understanding, "When he can defeat you, and you can accept defeat gracefully, the time will have come when the pair of you is to part."

And with that Horakhty vanished.

Atem and Yugi stared at each other, weighing each other up. Wondering when the final duel would be. Wondering how it would end...

"You should go." Atem said slowly when Yugi's eyes drooped and he had to shake himself awake, giving his dark an apologetic look once his world stopped spinning.

"We can't, Hermione's still at the palace." Joey told him.

"I'll send Hermione out to you, I promise." Atem disagreed, "But I need you three to get out of here. It's not safe."

"But Zorc's gone." Joey protested.

"I need to see this world through to its future." Atem said, hoping his friends would understand, "Please, I swear I'll send Hermione out and I'll be just moments behind her, but you need to go. Now."

Yugi hesitated but Joey took the weakened heir from his dark half.

"You'd better come home safe." Joey told the Pharaoh, holding on tightly to Yugi, who was too exhausted to break free, even though he wanted to stay back with Atem, "You dare die after everything we've been through, I'm going to bring you back just so I can kill you myself."

"I'm not going to die." Atem snorted, amused at the threat and nodding his understanding.

The trio left, heading for the door in the sky, and Atem headed for the palace.

* * *

"Sirius!"

At Mai's cry the wizard wheeled around far too late to defend himself from the shadow creature who had launched itself at him, raising his wand as he turned.

Several spells and attacks from several sources all went to blow the creature away but it, and every other one of its ilk that was attacking the group, vanished into thin air as the heavy feeling that had weighed down everyone disappeared.

Some of the Duellists who, like Harry, had exhausted themselves and collapsed started to stir as Sirius darted outside, Wolf in tow, only to become surprised when to find the bright, warm sunny day from earlier had returned.

"It's over?" Sirius asked, both confused and relieved.

 _How?_ Wolf demanded, having not expected the sky to ever be clear again. _The Pharaohs were dead! The Shadows were free! The game was over!_

"You sound sorry that the Shadows are gone." Sirius commented, as he headed back inside to give the others the good news.

 _Don't mistake confusion for disgust. I didn't want that thing free in this world any more then you did._ Wolf snarked back, sending his pack away as they re-entered the room to ease the drain on Harry. _If the heir found a way to triumph with the Pharaoh dead, then I am glad._

"The Shadows are gone." Sirius told the others.

"They are?" Mai asked, relief obvious, sitting down heavily.

"I don't know how he did it, but he did it." Sirius nodded, joining Mai on the floor, "Yugi saved us."

"Yugi?" One of the Muggles who had come for the tournament asked, "Yugi Mutou?"

"Yugi's alive?" Mai asked, hope tinting her voice.

"Wolf thinks so." Sirius shrugged.

"Mai," The Duellist's head shot up to look at her Harpie, who was looking worse for wear, "May I go?"

"Of course. Thank you Airo. Thank you so much." Mai breathed, still stunned that she'd managed to summon Airo in the first place.

"Pack Leader, will you guide me home?" Airo asked Wolf, who nodded, before turning back to Mai, "If you need me, I'm in your deck." Airo bowed to her Duelist and the pair was about to leave when a couple of the other summoned Duel Monsters, ones who didn't know their way home either, spoke up.

"While the wolf's taking our protectors home," One of the security guards, who'd turned out to be a Duellist, took control of the situation when it became obvious that no one else was going to do it now the crisis was over, "We should spread out and tend to the wounded. We have a medical centre, we can take them there."

"We need to get to Domino." Sirius said, putting his hand on Mai's shoulder when she started to get to her feet, "That's where this all started."

"We need to do what we can here first. It's what Yugi and the others will do, no matter how injured they are."

* * *

When the skies over Egypt had cleared Akhenaden was stunned.

He hadn't believed that the Pharaoh could win, still didn't want to believe it, but Zorc was dead, destroyed by Horakhty...

Now the only person who could defeat the Pharaoh was his son, Seth.

He gazed over at his son as he backed up towards a chasm that had opened up in the ground during the earthquakes which had torn Egypt asunder.

The earthquakes that had, with Zorc's demise, stopped.

"Seth! You must kill the Pharaoh! And steep the world in Shadows!"

Hermione, who was watching events unfold through blurry vision and from behind a protective wall of Nen and Mana, watched as Seth shuddered and turned to face down the High Priest of the Shadows.

"Everything is in ruins... Egypt is doomed!" Hermione could hear the anger and pain in Seth's voice, the feelings of betrayal so evident in Seth voice, where Seto wouldn't have allowed them to be heard, even now, "What does it matter if you defeat the Pharaoh?" He demanded, "Who cares about power anymore?"

"My son," Akhenaden said, making Seth shudder, as just the words reminded him of how much he owed the man, "With your power," Akhenaden took off the mask, revealing the twisted and malformed face underneath, the most prominent feature of which was the Millennium Eye, "I can erase the stain of failure in our blood!"

Nen hissed, unsure what Akhenaden was going on about but knowing it wouldn't be good.

"Seth, your flesh and blood are a part of me. For my last gift, I give you my soul." Akhenaden took another step back, putting him at the very edge of the precipice, "Son, I love you from the very bottom of my heart. I call to the blood in your veins, flow with my love and boil with my hatred for the Pharaoh!"

With that, Akhenaden jumped.

Seth couldn't help himself, he darted forwards, hoping to save him, but it was too late.

"Seth! Join with my soul and become King of the Shadows!"

Seth's hand went to his head and he let out a stunned cry but before anyone could find out what had happened, Nen and Mana were swept aside by a wave of Shadow magic, Kisara had let out a furious bellow and was sucked into a huge stone tablet, and, before Hermione could move, Seth was in front of her, grabbing her by the collar of her t-shirt.

"How are you alive?" Seth demanded, except, Hermione realized, it wasn't Seth. She could hear an echo behind Seth's voice, an echo that sounded disturbingly like Akhenaden. She'd been warned about this by her friends. Akhenaden had taken over the Priest's body…

"Hermione! Mana! Seth!"

"Yami!" Hermione cried out, relief and fear both coursing through her at the sound of the Pharaoh's voice, having been half afraid that Yami really had fallen, "YAMI!"

The Pharaoh darted into sight, letting out a soft, frustrated sigh as he saw the scene before him and moved towards them, "Let her go, Seth. There are bigger problems to deal with right now."

Hermione yelped as Seth dragged her around so he could face the Pharaoh, the Kuriboh she'd summoned with Relay Soul squeaking indignantly and going to attack Seth, only to be pounced on by Mana, who'd picked herself up quickly.

"Don't." Mana whispered to it as confusion crossed the Pharaoh's face, only to then be replaced with frustrated understanding, "You'll get her killed."

"Whoever you are," Atem growled as he realized what had happened to his High Priest, "I suggest you release my friend and relinquish control of my High Priest. Now."

"Yami… I…" Hermione trailed off as Seth's hand tightened on her collar.

"Let her go." Atem snarled.

Seth chuckled, a maniacal chuckle that was completely unlike anything anyone present had ever heard from him, confirming Atem's suspicions, and tossed Hermione aside. Nen caught her before she could hit the floor and the pair turned around to watch what was going on as Atem moved between them and his priest.

"Pharaoh, I will defeat you here and win the crown of the Kingdom!" Seth laughed.

Atem scowled and glanced over his shoulder, "Hermione, leave. I'll deal with this."

"What about…?" Hermione trailed off at the look the Pharaoh gave her.

"I've already sent Yugi and the others home, but you need to go, now, before the game ends."

Hermione nodded, scooping up the Kuriboh and thanking Nen and Mana for their help before pausing and looking at Yami, "Before I go, what is your name?"

"Atem. My name is Atem."

Hermione smiled at him and took off, wavering in mid air for just a moment, before shooting towards the door in the sky.

"Pharaoh!" Atem turned his attention back to the possessed priest, "I challenge you to duel for the title of the King."

"Seth… You have to fight this."

"They say that you are the only one who can summon the Gods," Seth continued, ignoring Atem's plea, "But I too have a God."

' _A god?'_ Atem asked himself, confused, trying to work out who was speaking through… "Akhenaden! Release Seth now!"

"I will defeat you here and now!" The Shadow Magus laughed, "I will become the King of the Shadows and I'll use the white dragon to do it!"

Atem's eyes widened as he looked at the tablet, recognizing the shape on it. "Kisara…"

' _My son. Now is the time for my wish on the Millennium Eye to be fulfilled.'_ Akhenaden informed Seth as he controlled the priest's body, drawing strength from his son to stay in control, _'With the power of the Millennium Rod I removed the God from that girl and trapped it in the stone tablet, all so that you could be King…'_

Seth groaned, exhausted and trying to push Akhenaden out of his mind, struggling to regain some sort of control over his actions.

"Diaha!"

Atem felt like banging his head against a wall, frustrated. He knew Seth, he knew the Priest would never willingly move against him, and Akhenaden's control over Seth seemed as unbreakable as Marik's control over Joey had.

"Seth, stop! You're stronger than him!" Atem called to his priest.

"Behold Pharaoh," It didn't matter, as Akhenaden directed Seth's magics "The power of my God shakes even the heavens!"

The dragon burst from the tablet, taking form and bellowing at him.

Without a second thought Atem summoned Mahado to his side. The Dark Magician scowled up at the dragon as Atem tried to work out how to break through to his cousin. He couldn't let Seth win, but at the same time he didn't want to kill him…

' _Mahado! Don't aim for the dragon, take out the tablet!'_

"White Dragon! Attack the Pharaoh's servant!" 'Seth' ordered. "White Lightening!"

"Dark Magic Attack!"

Mahado's tablet exploded first and the Dark Magician faded away, leaving Atem on his own.

"Mheh heh heh," Akhenaden laughed, "You've lost your last servant, Pharaoh." Atem didn't flinch even as Kisara bellowed at him, facing down defeat with poise and dignity, "Prepare yourself son of Akhenamkhanen, all my years of hatred will come together in my next blow and kill you, once and for all."

"Seth." Atem spoke, ignoring the ramblings of Akhenaden to talk to his priest, "Can you hear my voice?"

Inside Seth's mind, the weakened and exhausted Priest opened his eyes, raising his head at the Pharaoh's voice.

"Even if you defeat me, you can never become a true King as long as you are ruled by the darkness. Take my light, kill me if you have to, but take it and ask yourself, what kind of a King are you? In the prison of your soul do you shine with pride?"

The words struck a chord with Seth and Akhenaden felt his control over his son's body wavering.

"Nothing you say will help!" The High Priest of the Shadows bellowed, furious, "White Dragon! Kill the Pharaoh!"

Kisara didn't move, didn't roar, didn't even threaten to attack, if anything the only thing that happened was that she gave Atem a sad look as she started to fade away.

"What?" Akhenaden demanded, shocked. "Why won't you attack!"

Kisara started fading from the tablet too.

' _Where in the world…'_ Akhenaden trailed off as the Shadows he held his son prisoner in were torn apart by a burst of light, the huge white dragon appearing to light up the corners of Seth's mind as the woman who the dragon had once been helped Seth to his feet.

"Lord Seth. You must not be captured by the Shadows." She murmured to him, pulling him aside as the dragon blew Akhenaden away.

Seth shuddered as his father screamed, the light burning away the Shadows and the Priest who had put them there.

Then he was back in control of his body, on his hands and knees, blinking in the bright Egyptian sunlight and not quite sure what had just happened.

"Seth?"

Seth's head shot up, causing his world to spin. The Pharaoh was watching him, a mixture of concern and wariness on his face.

Then it hit him. Akhenaden had died and had tried to drag his soul into the Shadows with him. If it hadn't been for Kisara…

"Can you stand?" Seth was dragged out of his thoughts by Atem's concerned question, the Pharaoh looking incredibly worried.

"Yes, I'm fine." Seth accepted the hand that the Pharaoh was offering, and allowed Atem to help him to his feet.

Sera finally came around as the Pharaoh and his cousin turned to look at what had once been a thriving town.

"The darkness is gone." Seth murmered.

"Yes, but it has left deep wounds in the Earth…" Atem sighed, "We've lost many lives for this."

"Every living person must keep a light for the fallen in their hearts and yet work to build a new future." Seth nodded, still not quite able to believe that the five of them, the Pharaoh, Sera, Nen, Mana and himself, were the only survivors in the palace and wondering what had happened to the foreign priestess.

Atem was about to say something when he saw his hand. It was fading.

With the destruction of the last of Zorc's player characters, the game was over…

"Seth!" Atem turned to his cousin, taking off the Millennium Puzzle as his legs disappeared, "I need you to do me a favor."

"My Pharaoh? What is…?"

"I want you to take the throne," Atem offered him the Puzzle, "And become the new Pharaoh."

"But… then you have to stay and duel me once more, here and now!" Seth protested, horrified as Atem faded further and further, "I can only become King after I've defeated you!"

"I… don't have time." Atem sighed, wishing he did, feeling that, somehow, this inability to duel Seth was the cause for his current day rivalry with Seto Kaiba. "It seems I've remembered everything… the ending is different this time, but, because I lost my body when my soul was sealed, I don't belong here any longer…"

" _Pharaoh…"_ Seth could hear the sadness in Atem's tone and it wrenched at his heart.

"But we defeated the Shadows without shattering the Millennium Pendant…" Atem sounded quite pleased by that as he shoved the Pendant into Seth's hand, "Seth, the Pendant is the symbol of the Pharaoh, become Pharaoh! Make Egypt great again and most of all bring peace to the land."

Atem smiled at his cousin peacefully, "I'm counting on you."

With those parting words, Atem vanished from the world of memories, leaving Seth on his own.

Except he wasn't. Sera came to his side, taking the priest's hand in her own. Seth pulled her close, unable to just let go of the grief he was feeling, but needing the comfort.

And it wasn't only Sera offering. Kisara, the dragon that now rested within his soul, wrapped herself around them, protecting them.

"We won't forget him." Sera promised.

"No, we won't." Seth murmured, about to add something else when someone came into view, one of the very few surviving guards who hadn't fled during the quakes.

"Lord Seth? Lady Sera?" The guard asked, catching their attention, "There's someone, a foreign dignitary I think, wishing to speak with the…" He trailed off when he saw the Millennium Pendant in Seth's hand.

Seth could feel a headache coming on already. He didn't need this on top of the mess his cousin had left him with, though it was quite possibly that 'Prince Yugi' he'd been told about.

"My Lord," Sera gave him a watery smile as she attempted to move away from him, only for him to keep hold of her hand, "We can mourn later, for now let's fulfill his last wish."

It hurt, stepping into the Pharaoh's shoes, but Seth nodded, turning his full attention to the problem at hand, "The palace is unstable after the quakes, I will speak with them here."

The guard darted off and came back a couple of minutes later with a foreign looking woman who had seen better days but held herself with a regal air and was wearing a pendant in the shape of a golden orb.

This wasn't Prince Yugi then…

She looked around, confused for a moment, before working out who was in charge and bowing to Seth.

"I am Princess Shani, I come from the Eastern tribes seeking an alliance." She paused and looked around, "Though I do believe I may have come at the wrong time."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author Note: - Traveller, remember your name.   
> Within the text of 'Coming Forth By Day' (the original name of the Book of the Dead), that line is at the end of a lot of the spells that would guide someone safely through the Egyptian afterlife, spells that required you to know your name if you wanted to make it through the journey safely.  
> And now, after I took nine yearsof writing to get here, Atem finally knows his.


	12. Finding a New Path

Waking up in a sarcophagus was a shock.

Joey, who had been the last through the door home, was the first to wake up. The moment the blonde realised what it was he was laid in, he shot to his feet and practically jumped out of it.

"Calm down, Mutt." Seto growled as he sat up, a pounding headache making feel like he wanted to go back to sleep but nothing a cup of coffee wouldn't solve. "These are blatantly replicas. Bakura probably used them to freak him out." Seto waved towards the table where Yami was half led across the edge of the table, unconscious while Bakura was half laid across the table on the opposite side.

"Leave him." Seto commented, flipping open his phone as Joey moved to check that the Pharaoh was alright, "He said he'd follow us out. If he's still out in half an hour's time, you should get worried." With that he climbed out of the sarcophagus, dialled a number and started a huge row with someone on the end of the phone, though from what Joey could catch it sounded like Mokuba had woken up.

It was then Joey realised that Yugi had yet to wake up.

Swiftly casting the diagnostic spell that Madam Pomfrey had taught them, Joey smiled slightly when the red 'heartbeat' and blue 'soul' lights pulsed away steadily, with the hints of purple in the soul and magic lights that depicted a bond to another. He couldn't help but be concerned by the fact that Yugi's yellow 'life energy' and his green 'magic' lights were practically out though, flickering weakly.

Not that he knew what that meant, but he assumed it had something to do with whatever Yugi had used to bring Yami back from the dead.

Joey shuddered as he thought about it. He'd given Kaiba a perfectly reasonable explanation at the time, but the fact of the matter was that no one was quite sure what the link was or how it worked, or even how the whole 'needing each other to live' thing worked.

That Yugi had been able to do what he'd done was a miracle.

Swiftly casting the spell on Hermione and Yami, he scowled when he realised they had no blue lights and Hermione's yellow light was almost non-existent, but there wasn't much he could do about it for now. Neither would wake up until their souls returned to their bodies.

Instead he turned his attention to Yugi who had yet to wake up. Not that Joey was surprised. He remembered the game with Anubis far too well and it had taken Yami over a week to wake up after he had lost almost all his life energy.

Then it hit him. He knew someone who might be able to help the recovery process along...

He flipped his phone open only to find he had about thirty missed calls from his sister. What had happened while he'd been unconscious? Checking the clock on his phone made him scowl. Hermione's parents would be freaking out. They'd been supposed to meet up with them over an hour ago.

Of course how the last few days inside the Memory World translated to just three hours in the real one was beyond him, Yugi had always said time flowed differently when the Shadows were involved, but it seemed a little ridiculous to him.

Making a mental note to apologise to Hermione's parents and breathing a sigh of relief when Hermione's blue soul light started pulsing, he swiftly dialled his sister's number, only for it to ring and ring and ring before disconnecting, the screen flashing up 'No Answer'.

"If you're trying to ring your sister," Seto commented, holding his hand over the mouthpiece of his phone as someone on the other end threw a fit at him, not that Joey could hear what they were saying, "Good luck. She's probably been called into work."

"Why?" Joey asked, confused as to why Seto would know that even as he knelt down to try and wake Yugi up.

Atem sat up slowly, soul light flashing, before Seto could reply. He blinked as he looked around, scowling as his gaze landed on the Tomb Robber opposite him and pulling the Puzzle out of the sand before he got down from the platform.

"You, Pharaoh, are in a lot of trouble." Seto scowled at the King who blinked at him, confused, before dismissing Seto's comment out of hand and moving to Yugi's side, taking his hikari's hand in his own.

"Is he alright?" Joey asked, knowing Yami would know much better than any diagnostic spell could tell him.

"Exhaustion." The Pharaoh sounded guilty as his yellow light, which was faded anyway, dimmed considerably and Yugi's brightened slightly, "Once he's slept himself out and had a good meal, he'll be fine." Atem glanced at Seto as he let go of Yugi's hand, looking exhausted himself, "Why am I in trouble?"

"The Shadows weren't just released into the game." Seto informed him, "It happened everywhere. There are casualties worldwide where the Shadows tried to feast."

Atem scowled and Joey swore.

"Zorc." Atem snarled, his tone speaking quite clearly of his anger, "It has to be. But I didn't think events in the game would affect the real world. Not, at least, until the game was over..."

"The rules changed," Joey said, "Shadi told us that." He paused and looked around, "What happened to Shadi?"

"I don't know." Atem shook his head, having not seen the 'guardian of the Millennium Items' in years, "Joey, take care of Hermione, I'll look after Yugi."

The blonde nodded, wondering how he was going to help Hermione, as Seto snorted and told whoever was on the other end of the phone that yes, he would be into Kaiba Corp later but he was going to check on his brother first. No, he didn't care if there were some rather important people wanting to talk to him. Yes, do all the checks to make sure no one had made their network go crazy. Yes, he did mean do it again if it had already been done and no, he would hold a press conference in his own time, not now.

"Sorry..." Atem started.

"It's not me you have to apologise to." Seto interrupted him, "I don't know whether I can cover up this one. Kaiba Corp's lawyers are good, but this struck on a global scale." On that note, Seto turned away and strode over to the table, where the Millennium Ring was embedded in the sand and the Tomb Robber had yet to move.

Atem and Joey looked at each other as Seto let out a hiss, then turned to look at the CEO. Seto had cast the diagnostic spell on the Tomb Robber, only for nothing to happen. Nothing lit up. There was nothing. No magic, no soul light, no life energy and no heartbeat.

Seto frowned and put his fingers on Bakura's neck, his touch confirming what the spell had told him.

The Memory World had been Bakura Malfoy's last game.

The King of Thieves was dead.

* * *

The Shadows were gone.

The Shadows were gone.

Tea couldn't believe it.

Gone. Gone. Gone.

Suddenly she crashed as what had most likely happened hit her.

Yugi and Yami must have died for the Shadows to be released and someone else would have had to have gone through what Yami had gone through in the past to get rid of them again.

So who had sealed themselves away for five thousand years, giving up their name, their memories and half their soul to save the world this time?

She tried to call the shop in Domino but all the phone lines were busy, a result, most likely, of everyone trying to phone their friends and loved ones to find out if they were all right. It was understandable but, at the same time, frustrating.

"Tea. You know what happened?" Lydia asked, breaking Tea's train of thoughts and gesturing towards the small group of rowing people, a debate having broken out between the older Shadow-Touched, those with wands and the muggles. "I mean you knew the Pharaoh, right?"

It hurt but Tea nodded.

"Come and talk to them. They might listen to you."

"But I..."

"Please?" Lydia asked, "I promise I'll get you back to campus as soon as we're done here, but people are scared and you're the only one who knows..."

Tea looked around. The Muggles were scared, the wizards had their wands drawn but looked like they weren't sure whether to memory wipe everyone or run for their lives, the Shadow-Touched had all sat down rather heavily, except the few that were caught up in the argument, and everyone looked exhausted.

"Alright. But I'm not sure what to say."

"Just tell them what you told me." With that Lydia dragged Tea into the middle of the arguing group and announced really loudly, "This is Tea Gardener. She was best friends with the Pharaoh who was killed today trying to stop the darkness from doing what it just did. Maybe you should listen to her."

"Why should we?" One of the Muggles demanded, "She's one of them..." He gestured to the Shadow-Touched.

Tea's Phasing Sprite Phobos glowered at the speaker, but when Tea shook her head the Duel Monster backed off. "Because we fought together today, non-magicals, wand users and Shadow-Touched alike, and we might need to do so again in the future."

"And what would you," The huge Muggle man looked her over, unimpressed by the slight, agile girl, "Know of fighting?"

"More than..." Tea trailed off as a Kuriboh appeared out of nowhere in a swirl of Shadows, looked around, and bounced over to her.

 _TeaTeaTea!_ The fuzzball broadcast to everyone around them, sounding delighted about something, not that Tea could understand why considering what had happened. _Mahado sent me with some news..._

"I don't really think..."

 _It's good news. You'll like it._ The Kuriboh promised.

Tea glanced at those around her, wondering how there could be any good news and where this Kuriboh had come from, temporarily forgetting she kept a Kuriboh card in her purse with her loyalty cards. Most seemed irritated at having their 'conversation' interrupted but the Kuriboh didn't really care.

 _They did it. They beat Zorc!_ The Kuriboh said, sounding delighted, _The Pharaoh and all his friends are alive!_

"What?" Tea asked breathlessly, daring to hope.

 _Mahado told me to tell you that they're alive. It was close but..._ The Kuriboh gave Tea a confused look when she burst into relieved tears, _I thought it was good news._

"What's going on?" One of wizards demanded, confused by what was going on.

"My friends survived."

* * *

The news of the Pharaoh's survival had come, surprisingly, not from the dwellers of the Dark Kingdom, whose Lord had been at the Pharaoh's side for many years, but out of the Light Lands where Kisara the White Dragon ruled.

The moment the dragon had returned from her place at the side of Pharaoh Seth she had sent out the news and Mahado had finally found a use for those stupid little fuzzballs the heir was so fond of, sending them with a message for the Pharaoh's friends, the ones who hadn't been involved in the 'Game'.

A message that told of the survival of their friends.

Of course even before she'd sent the news out the Monster World had been in uproar. Zorc was dead but the damage had already been done. The Shadows, while no longer coating the skies of the human world, were free of their seal and anyone who had had the potential to summon Duel Monsters would now be able to.

And most likely had in order to defend themselves from the darkness. A lot of Duel Monsters had met their Duellists for the first time today and excitement was rampant.

The Blue Eyes sisters were no exception.

Though the four of them weren't overly concerned about how much easier it would be it travel to the human world, it was the sheer relief of no longer having to worry about Zorc that had Kisara, Orya, Elise and Kara taking to the skies and flying free without concerns for the first time in almost as long as Kara, the youngest of the Blue Eyes White Dragons, had been in the Monster World.

Oh there would still be problems and there was still a war on the horizon, but today was a day for jubilation.

Tomorrow they could worry about what was on the horizon.

* * *

Within Hogwarts the House Elves were serving food and drink to the exhausted but happy defenders of the castle.

When the Shadows had cleared away the surviving adults had been relieved, but it wasn't until they'd entered the Great Hall and found the children exhausted but happy and surrounded by Duel Monsters that they actually understood what had just happened.

As one of the Weasley twins put it so very eloquently, "We won."

It was much more than that though as those who had fought bravely outside the castle found out when they talked to the children, who were discussing the tale and grinning about brave feats they'd pulled off during the fighting.

They hadn't only won here. According to the Duel Monsters, the Shadow Demon that had caused all of this was dead and his influence was gone. The Shadows were free, that much was true, and they were still dangerous but they weren't controlled by HIM anymore.

What had only made things better, to some of them at least, was that there had been a messenger sent to inform them that Yugi and the others were alive.

"Professor Dumblydore?"

Professor Dumbledore, who was stood turned to look at the speaker to find it was Dobby, the House Elf he'd taken on when he'd been freed from the Malfoys standing behind him.

"What is it Dobby?"

"Professor Dumblydore has a call in his office." Dobby informed the Headmaster. "Minister Fudgy wants to talk to you."

He'd expected the Minister to call, but not this quickly. He hadn't had time to speak to anyone who had been directly involved in the cause of all this, nor had he decided what his stance on the matter was yet.

"Thank you Dobby. I'll be up shortly."

* * *

"You alright Tristan?" Mel asked as the taxi took them to the airport. Neither of them knew if their flight would be leaving, but they hoped that they could get to Japan safely.

Tristan, who was looking out of the window and watching the world go past, turned to look at her.

"You're taking all of this calmly." He commented, having been surprised by her level headedness while the Shadows had covered the skies.

"It's kind of hard to freak out about this after I spoke with Athena." Mel shrugged, referencing the Fairy/Effect monster who lived in her deck and who had saved her life just quarter of an hour ago, "She told me a lot and that Kuriboh filled in more."

Tristan grumbled slightly and turned away again. The Kuriboh in question had come from the only Duel Monsters card he currently had on him. He'd stopped carrying a deck a while back, there hadn't been much point considering how bad he was at the game and that he had no magic related to it. Or at least he hadn't thought he had.

He'd only kept the Kuriboh card because it reminded him of his friends.

Now it turned out he could have been more use to Mel if he'd had a deck on him. Once again he felt like he'd been useless, just as he had when all he'd been able to do was stand to one side and cheer on Yugi and Joey...

At least his friends had come through this latest trial safely.

He'd thought the worst for a while, but when the Shadows had cleared he'd hoped that they'd managed to once again do the impossible and Kuriboh had only confirmed it.

Once again Yugi and Yami had managed to save the world.

He just wondered how long they'd be in hospital this time.

* * *

Mahado was exhausted. The game had only been three hours long and yet he was more exhausted then when he'd been helping Yugi and the Pharaoh get through the Capsule Monsters world, and that had lasted almost two days.

It was more a mental exhaustion though, rather than just a physical one. It had been a learning experience for him almost as much as it had been for the Pharaoh, having been thrown back into his role as the Pharaoh's friend and closest advisor, a role he had almost forgotten how to play it had been so long.

Not that the Pharaoh, Atem, had been in any better a position. If anything he'd had it worse. Mahado had at least had a script to play to, having been forced into his old role. The Pharaoh hadn't had such a script and at times it had shown.

Not that it mattered. The events of the game didn't affect the events of the past, and Yami Mutou was a very different person to Pharaoh Atem, it was natural that he'd play the role differently to how he would have played it if he'd had his memories.

But then if he'd had his memories, he wouldn't have needed to play such a risky game.

"Mahado?" The Dark Magician, who had been considering travelling through to the human world to check on the Pharaoh and his friends, paused at the sound of his significant other's voice. He had just enough time to turn towards the Dark Magician Girl before she crossed the distance between them and hugged him tightly, sobbing into his chest.

He just hugged her back, knowing that it couldn't have been easy for her, going through that again. It had been hard enough for her the first time around and while five thousand years had dulled her memories of the events that had occurred originally, she'd suffered from nightmares about it and the troubles that had followed for almost a century.

There was a knock on the door and Mana pushed herself away from him, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand as Mahado let out a heavy sigh. It couldn't be one of the Kuribohs he'd sent out with messages for Yugi's friends, not yet anyway which meant that this latest interruption had something to do with what had been going on in the real world while they'd been fighting for their lives inside the Tomb Robber's game.

"Come in."

It was an Allure Queen Lv5 who pushed open the door hesitantly. Mahado wasn't sure which one. Those who came to study in the Kkwy Library, the Dark Kingdom's answer to the Royal Magical Library, changed on an almost daily basis.

Mana did though and she rushed to the Spellcaster/Effect monster's side, highly concerned. "Arzu? What's wrong?"

Mahado frowned. He knew that name but he couldn't remember where from.

"I know I wasn't supposed to bring her here but there was nowhere else." Arzu said, bowing low, shame obvious in her voice, "And she's lost everyone..."

"You brought Luna here." Mana's eyes went huge as Arzu's words sank in.

That was it. Mahado realised. Where he knew Arzu's name from. This was Luna's deck leader. Then what she'd actually said sank in and he frowned. It was unsafe for humans to travel to their world.

Not only did they have to travel across the Shadow Realm to reach the Realm of the Monsters, but those who didn't have a safe grip on their selves, or who used up too much magic, or even those who won their games but had exhausted themselves and didn't have someone to pull them back from the darkness, as Yugi and Harry had, ran the risks of turning into their Ka beasts.

"Where is she?"

"I left her in the kitchens." Arzu admitted, straightening up, "There was a Magicat down there that Luna took a shine to and she needed some comfort..." Arzu looked at the ground, self loathing obvious, "I couldn't save her father."

Mahado put his hand on Arzu's shoulder, "It's alright, Arzu. I'm sure you did everything you could." He looked at Mana, who nodded and took Arzu's hand, "We'll take her to the shop. She is, after all Clan. If her father's gone then she'd Master Solomon's ward now."

"But the human world's..."

"Of course," Mana gave her a reassuring smile, "If you've been looking after Luna you wouldn't have heard."

"Heard what?"

"Zorc is dead. The Pharaoh won."

* * *

"Are you sure this is safe?"

Rebecca didn't know how to answer her Grandfather, but she figured that if Minnola could use the Shadows to travel from one place in the world to another, then surely the dragon could take them with him if she asked him to go to Japan.

It wasn't like she was asking him to break into Hogwarts or Gringotts. She just wanted Minnola to take them across to Japan. Of course she'd much rather take the risk on her own but her Grandfather was insisting that he go with her, both because he wanted to see his friend and because he was worried about her.

They had only just managed to survive after all. He wasn't willing to let her out of his sight.

"Minnola's travelled using the Shadows before..." Rebecca trailed off. Her friends were safe. She wasn't really needed in Japan...

And her Grandfather was more important. He'd nearly lost his soul during the attack after all. She didn't want to risk taking him through the Shadows. It was unsafe enough as it was, what with her complete exhaustion and her complete inexperience with the Shadows.

"Rebecca?" Her Grandfather's tone was severe.

"I don't know. I've never done this before and neither have the others." Rebecca admitted.

"Then we're not going. Not like this." Professor Hawkins frowned. "There are much safer ways to travel and you spoke to both Ombre and that Kuriboh."

Rebecca nodded slowly. The Princess had stated that she and Solomon were all right and the Kuriboh that had appeared out of her extras deck had informed her that everyone who had been in the world of memories had come home safely.

"I'm just as worried about them as you are." Professor Hawkins continued, "But they wouldn't want us to risk ourselves." Rebecca kicked the floor, knowing that he was right, even if she didn't like it.

 _I can go._ Minnola offered, talking to both of them, _And pass you any news._

"Please." Rebecca nodded and Minnola vanished from the house.

* * *

"So. What next?" Joey asked Atem. The pharaoh had been staring blindly out of the window as Kaiba's limousine took them home.

He realised with a start that he didn't know.

Not once in nine years had he thought beyond the day he got his memories back.

Yugi shifted slightly, causing Atem to look down at his closest friend with a small smile. They'd just about managed to wake Yugi and Hermione up enough to get them moving from the storage room where Bakura's board had been to the limo, but both had fallen asleep the moment that they had done up their seatbelts.

Now Yugi was leaning against Atem's side, as best as he could while still strapped in anyway, his head on the Pharaoh's shoulder, with a peaceful expression on his face.

Atem doubted Yugi would remember leaving the museum. It was probably for the best. Seto was still there, dealing with Bakura's body and the board that had, at one point, looked so much like the Pharaoh's ancient home. However he had sent everyone else home.

Atem wasn't sure he could have dealt with any more today anyway. Not only did Yugi need to get back to the safety and security of the Game Shop, but Atem had too much to go through, too many memories he wanted to examine, too little idea of how to deal with the press and the authorities and far too little care, at least at the moment, for the trouble that had happened as a result of his search for his memories.

Once Yugi was settled, he knew that his family was all right and he'd had a chance to go through the thousands of memories that had rushed through his mind when Yugi had given him his name, he'd be more interested in the outside world.

Until then...

His hand went to his neck without thinking, reaching for the cord to the Millennium Pendant, only to remember that the chain that it rested on currently rested on Yugi's neck, where it belonged. He did, however, find the chain for the double cartouche he'd received at Christmas.

He raised the pendant to eye level so he could look at it properly, thinking that he could finally have his true name engraved into the second half, only to find it was already there.

He stared at it for a while. It was one thing for Yugi to tell him it. It was another to read it.

"Ya... I mean Atem?" Joey corrected himself, concerned when Atem didn't give him an answer, "You ok?"

"I'll answer to either, Joey." Atem shrugged, not really sure what he was feeling about everything yet, noting that Hermione was leant against the window with Joey's jacket between her and the glass, "Just don't call me Yams."

Joey snorted, amusement crossing his face before concern settled again.

Atem didn't get a chance to say anything else as the Game Shop came into view and he mentally poked his hikari, having already worked out that shaking Yugi didn't work.

It took a couple of attempts before he got a response and even then it was the equivalent of Yugi putting his pillow over his head and going back to sleep.

"Excuse me a sec." Atem chuckled to Joey and darted into the corridor between his and Yugi's mind.

Even when he'd been sat on the throne he'd missed this link. He'd had the bond to his light self for as long as one of his lives could remember and not having it had felt unnatural.

He stepped through into the brightly lit room, a sign of the strength of Yugi's soul, and took a look around.

The room was messier than usual, mostly because Yugi's games and toys were no longer the only things in there. Atem frowned slightly as he made his way across the room, making a mental note to help Yugi tidy away the items that he recognised as belonging to 'Atem', rather than 'Yami' or 'Yugi'.

He paused for a moment as he stepped over a reed boat, wondering whether he'd forever be separating his life into 'Yami' and 'Atem', then moved quietly over to Yugi's bed.

"Yugi." He put his hand on his hikari's shoulder and shook him slightly, noting with a frown, that the bruising that Yugi had sustained in the Memory World had carried over to his spirit form here, "Yugi, wake up."

"Five more minutes." Yugi groaned.

Atem had to force back a chuckle. It wasn't really funny, not when Yugi had exhausted himself bringing him back from the dead, but 'five more minutes' was normally his line. However Yugi needed to wake up, even it if was just long enough to get between the limo and the flat.

"Sorry, but we don't have five more minutes. We're practically home." Atem apologised, pulling Yugi into a sitting position. Yugi glowered at him, a far too typically Atem expression for the Pharaoh to be comfortable, just for a second and then he sighed and nodded, his entire body posture relaxing into a much more Yugi like pose.

"I'll be out in a minute."

Atem nodded and darted back to his body just in time for the car to pull up outside the Game Shop and Yugi opened his eyes just as Yami was reaching for his seat belt. Across the car, Hermione's parents had just about managed to wake their daughter up too and were the first ones out.

Not that they'd wanted to get in the car. They would much rather have gone back to their hotel and gone back to England on the first available flight, having been scared out of their wits by what had happened, but Atem and Seth... Seto, Atem shook his head slightly at the slip up, had managed to convince them that they were much safer if they stuck around in Domino. After all they were the only people who knew what the Shadows were really capable of and how to deal with them.

Before Joey had even managed to help Yugi out of the car they were surrounded. Atem let out a soft groan, having forgotten that today was a tournament day for the store, but refrained from saying anything. Mostly because Ombre had darted through the excitable crowds and slapped him hard enough to leave an imprint before hugging him.

"O...Ombre?" Atem asked, shocked as she moved on to Yugi, who was leant rather heavily on Joey, was in the process of dozing off again and, unlike Atem, didn't get slapped, but didn't get an answer from the Princess before the crowd split to let his Grandfather through.

He had just enough time to wonder where Yugi's parents were before Solomon shocked him by hugging him.

Not that he hadn't seen his Grandfather hug Yugi before, or any of the others who needed it, but Atem had never been good at overly emotional displays of affection and Solomon had always respected that, always offering him a hand on his shoulder or something just as subtle rather than the hugs Yugi tended to get.

After the news he'd heard at the museum after the game, the Pharaoh half suspected that it was as much because his Grandfather needed to confirm for himself that Atem wasn't a ghost as it was joy at his safe return.

As his Grandfather released him and moved on to his other Grandsons, Atem helped Joey deflect questions, half feigning confusion in order to deflect the least persistent ones and promising answers 'later' to those who were demanding answers 'now'.

"I'm sorry." He finally spoke over the noise of the rabble, tired and not really wanting to deal with this now, "But both my friend and my brother," He gestured to Hermione and Yugi, "Nearly died this morning and I'm not answering any questions until they've been seen to." For a moment he considered palming this lot off on Seth... Seto. He had a horrible feeling he was going to keep doing that, especially when his brain was this fried, but the CEO had enough on his plate as it was. "Now if you don't mind..."

He moved to help Joey with Yugi, who was more asleep than not, noting that Joey promised his grandfather that they'd explain everything once they were inside, and the crowd parted to let them into the shop.

Part of him was frustrated by the crowd as he watched, bemused, as Joey picked Yugi up and carried him up the stairs, bridal style, ignoring Yugi's protests, and part of him understood why there would be so many people wanting answers from them.

He could feel the wards that he and Ombre had put up around their home, and while they were weakened, they still stood, which meant nothing of a magical nature who wanted to harm those in the shop would have been able to enter the building.

Making the game shop the safest place in Domino during the Attack.

And it didn't help that the Duel Monsters had, apparently, turned around and told their Duellists that 'Mutou-San' was the Pharaoh's Grandfather, making everyone aware of the fact that it was one of the Mutou twins who, as they thought at the time, had died while trying to stop the Shadows from being freed.

Of course people would want answers when the whole group had turned up alive.

' _Well, just about.'_ Atem thought as Joey carried Yugi to the 'guys' dorm' as the blonde had called it last night and Ombre had, at the request of Solomon, helped Hermione settle into Yugi's parents room.

It had come rather close.

It was a sign of how tired Atem was that he didn't even register that there was someone else in the flat until he almost sat on her.

"Sorry Luna." The Pharaoh murmured, trying to stay awake in order to explain to those who hadn't been at the museum. It took him enough time that he'd found another spot to sit and had stared blankly into thin air for at least thirty seconds before what he'd said actually crossed his mind. "Luna? What're you doing here?"

She was upset, he could tell that much in his current mental state, but she didn't say anything. Atem got up and moved back over to the sofa, not quite sure if Luna wanted his support or what to say or do if she did.

"I'm glad you're ok." Luna murmured, taking his hand in hers.

"I'm sorry." Atem apologised, knowing that somehow it was his fault for whatever had happened to make Luna miserable.

"Those who look forwards were just as blind as those forever looking backwards," Luna replied quietly, "You couldn't have known." She considered him for a moment, making Atem wonder what was going through her head, then she spoke again, "So which way do you look now, Pharaoh? Onwards or upwards?"

He considered her question carefully. He knew what she was asking. Everyone inside the Clan knew that eventually Atem wanted to join his family in the afterlife, but for some reason that didn't seem like the right answer. Not right now at least.

He knew what it was too. When he'd thought that he was going to die during the Memory World game, he'd realised something. He didn't want to leave his new family. Not yet. Not while he had a second chance at life.

Oh there were people and things he could do without, but he was genuinely happy in his second life. He had a home, a family and didn't want to leave any of it.

If he'd still been sharing a body with Yugi it would have been a different matter. He couldn't fairly have expected Yugi to play host to him forever, but he had his own body and his own life, even if he chose to spend it in the company of his light self.

And not even everything bad that had happened over the last nine years was enough to make him change his mind on that matter. He wanted to stay.

"Onwards. Definitely onwards."


End file.
